During the first half, Sergio Aguero was reportedly struggling with chest pain and was replaced by Philippe Coutinho in the 42nd minute.
Follow Us
FC Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero was taken to the hospital for a cardiac exam after experiencing chest pains during his club’s 1-1 draw with Alaves. During the first half, the former Manchester City striker is said to have “struggled with chest pain.” In the 42nd minute, he was replaced by Philippe Coutinho. Gerard Pique hobbled off in the 70th minute after pulling the soleus muscle in his right calf, adding to the Catalan giants’ injury woes. The club confirmed that additional tests will be required to determine how long he will be out.
“Sergio Aguero was struggling with chest pain for much of the first half and was replaced by Philippe Coutinho at half time and then taken to hospital for a cardiologic analysis. In the second half, Gerard Piqué pulled the soleus muscle in his right calf and will need tests to determine the full extent of the injury. Clement Lenglet took his place for the rest of the game,” read a statement by Barcelona.
These injuries make life difficult for Barcelona B coach Sergi Barjuan, who is temporarily in charge of the first team following Ronald Koeman’s departure. Koeman was fired by Barcelona on Wednesday night after a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano. In addition to Aguero and Pique, Barcelona is dealing with a slew of injuries, including Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Martin Braithwaite, Ousmane Dembele, Pedri, Sergi Roberto, and Ansu Fati.
Barcelona wasted no time in filling the void left by Ronald Koeman’s dismissal. Sergi Barjuan, the current coach of Barcelona B, will take over as interim manager, according to the Catalan club. Barcelona has struggled to assert their dominance under Koeman, with largely indifferent results. Following Lionel Messi’s departure, the Spanish club has struggled for results this season, and the manager’s future has been in doubt for several weeks. Koeman’s final game as manager was a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday. It was their fourth loss in six games across all competitions.
A statement from the club read, “FC Barcelona hereby announces that Sergi Barjuan, the current coach of Barca B, shall be taking provisional charge of the technical management of the senior squad. His interim position as first-team head coach shall end as soon as the club has hired full-time head coach to replace the dismissed Ronald Koeman.”
“FC Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, shall be officially introducing Sergi Barjuan to the first team squad this afternoon before the training session at the Ciutat Esportiva. Sergi Barjuan will be attending to the media tomorrow Thursday from 1.00pm CEST in the pressroom at the Ciutat Esportiva to discuss the game against Alaves, with president Joan Laporta also appearing,” it added.
The 1-0 defeat by Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Koeman and his tenure as Barcelona manager. After the loss to Vallecano, Koeman, as per Sky Sports, said: “In the first 15 minutes, we had problems to get into the game. They pressed us well but after that, I think we controlled the game on a small pitch against a team that runs a lot and presses hard. We had good chances but we didn’t finish them.”
