Dani Rodriguez stretchered off for Barcelona Atletic

Barcelona Atletic’s promising defender Dani Rodriguez was stretchered off in the first half of Sunday’s fixture against Barbastro after sustaining what appeared to be a serious knee injury. The 20-year-old went down while running at an opponent and immediately signalled for assistance, clearly in distress. Medical staff attended to him for several minutes before he was carried from the pitch on a stretcher.

The setback is particularly cruel for Rodriguez, who had been enjoying a strong run of form under Juliano Belletti and was attracting interest during the January window. Negotiations with Dinamo Zagreb reportedly reached an advanced stage, but the move collapsed and the player remained with Barca’s reserve side. Having already endured a series of injury setbacks in recent seasons, the club will anxiously await scan results to determine the extent of the damage and hope for a swift recovery.

Rodriguez is currently on loan at the club, though the deal contains an option to make the transfer permanent. Meanwhile, Barcelona Atletic have bolstered their attacking options this winter with the arrival of another highly rated youngster described as a “complete striker.”