Barcelona injury news: Surgery date for Blaugrana defender confirmed

Barcelona have revealed that Gerard Martin will undergo an operation next week on the fractured right hand that he suffered while representing Spain Under-21s.

Martin suffered the injury during the European Under-21s Championship fixture against Slovakia Under-21s on Wednesday, and he flew back to Barcelona on Thursday after being ruled out of the tournament.

The Catalan giants have now revealed that the defender needs an operation due to the dislocation that occurred, and the surgery will take place towards the start of next week.

"Gerard Martín has suffered a dislocation at the base of the fifth metacarpal in his right hand and will undergo surgery this Tuesday, performed by Dr. Mir under the supervision of the Club’s Medical Services. An update will be provided after the procedure," read a statement from Barcelona.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a strong 2024-25 campaign for Barcelona, scoring once and providing six assists in 42 appearances in all competitions, including one goal and three assists in 28 league outings.

Barcelona's Martin to undergo surgery next week

Martin benefitted from Alejandro Balde's injury problems to be a key player in the latter stages of the season, and he impressed in Barcelona's semi-final second leg against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

The defender has a contract at Camp Nou until June 2028, and he is expected to once again be a valuable squad member for Hansi Flick's team during the 2025-26 campaign.

Barcelona are likely to provide a timeframe in terms of his recovery once the operation has taken place.

As it stands, it is unclear whether he will be able to join up with his teammates for the start of pre-season, but he should have recovered in plenty of time for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

Wolves, Bournemouth 'among Martin suitors'

Martin's future has recently been called into question, as he will not be a starter at Barcelona next term if Balde is fit.

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth are among a number of Premier League clubs believed to be keen on the Spaniard, but he has played down talk of an exit.

“These are things that come up. In the end, I don’t take any notice, I’m focused on Barca and the truth is that I’m happy with my season," he told Jijantes.

"I think the coaching staff are also happy with me, with my progress and what I still have to improve. The truth is that I don’t think about anything other than Barca. I am calm.”

Martin made the move to Barcelona B from Cornella in 2023, and he represented the Catalan side's second team on 41 occasions during the 2023-24 campaign.

Written by
Matt Law