Rival watch: Barcelona new signing set to miss Real Madrid clash after injury

In exactly a month, Real Madrid play hosts to bitter rivals FC Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the 2025/26 season – the first of the Xabi Alonso era.

Leading up to the match, both teams are dealing with injury issues.

Los Blancos are set to be without Trent Alexander-Arnold and Antonio Rudiger for the game while the current La Liga champions had lost Gavi for the game.

Joan Garcia also out

Now, Barcelona have been dealt another injury blow as new signing Joan Garcia will also miss the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu next month.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper suffered a meniscus tear during training earlier today and is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on Saturday, the Catalans confirmed via an official statement.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗢 𝗠𝗘́𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗢

El jugador 𝗝𝗼𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮 sufre una rotura del menisco interno de la rodilla izquierda. Mañana se someterá a una intervención para realizarle una artroscopia a cargo del Dr. Joan Carles Monllau. El tiempo aproximado de baja es de 4 a 6… pic.twitter.com/IxQpTJC8rk— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) September 26, 2025

“The player Joan Garcia suffers a tear of the internal meniscus in his left knee. Tomorrow he will undergo arthroscopy surgery performed by Dr. Joan Carles Monllau,” the statement read.

As part of the statement, Barça also specified that the former Espanyol star will be out for a period of four to six weeks.

With the Clasico set to take place in exactly a month’s time, Garcia is now expected to be unavailable for the big game against Real Madrid.

This comes as a major blow for Barcelona, considering that their new signing had become an important player already and helped them out of some tricky situations in games against Rayo Vallecano and Newcastle United.