Barcelona expect Joan Garcia to miss weeks with calf injury

Barcelona's Champions League victory over Newcastle came at a cost, with goalkeeper Joan Garcia suffering a calf injury in the dying moments of the 7-2 win that completed an 8-3 aggregate triumph. Initial explorations point to a muscular tear in Garcia's left calf, a problem that could sideline him for two to three weeks and disrupt the squad as the season reaches its business end.

Defender Eric Garcia also had to be withdrawn after 20 minutes, feeling a familiar pinch in his right thigh as he returned from a hamstring issue sustained on the seventh of March. Wojciech Szczesny is set to step in as the primary shot-stopper, though he will be keen to improve on a previous two-month spell without a clean sheet.

The upcoming international break offers a useful window for rehabilitation. Barcelona face Rayo Vallecano this weekend before the break, then host Atletico Madrid on April 4 and meet Diego Simeone's side again in the European quarter-finals days later.

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