Barcelona defender Dani Alves has broken his collarbone in training and will miss the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao on May 25.
A statement on the Barcelona web site said:
During this Wednesday’s training session, Dani Alves suffered a broken collarbone and after initial treatment it was decided by the Club’s medical services that he will be operated on this evening at the Hospital de Barcelona by Doctor Carles Torrens.
Following the operation, at about 20.00, Doctors Ricard Pruna and Carles Torrens will give an updated medical report at a news conference at the Club.
Besides missing the Copa del Rey final, Alves is also expected to missmiss Brazil’s exhibition games against the United States on May 30 at Landover Md., Mexico on June 3 at Arlington, Texas, and Argentina on June 9 at East Rutherford, N.J.
Barca are really struggling for defenders for this weekend’s cup final as they are already missing Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal.
The big question for Athletic is can they capitalize on Barca’s weekend team and ensure that Pep Guardiola’s last game as Barcelona manager will not end with another victory celebration?