Barcelona, Dec 16 (IANS): Lamine Yamal received a blow to the right ankle during the 0-1 loss against CD Leganes on Sunday. Tests carried out on Monday have revealed that the player has a grade 1 injury to the anterior tibiofibular ligament in the ankle and is expected to be out for 3 to 4 weeks.

Yamal has a total of six goals and 11 assists this season, figures which place him third on the Barca list of top scorers behind Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. To top that, Yamal is also the third-highest assist provider so far this season in Europe’s top five leagues.

Yamal’s injury could not have come at a worse time for the club as Barcelona held a significant gap over title contenders Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid but their form in recent weeks has severely dipped with the Catalans having won only one of their last six league games, which has seen Atletico tie the Hansi Flick coached side on points, with Real trailing by one point.

Despite the poor run of results recently in the league, such a setback is hardly unknown in La Liga. In the 2018/19 season under coach Ernesto Valverde the Blaugranes went four games without a win in September and October and still claimed the title at the end of the campaign. In 2015/16 Luis Enrique's team lost to Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Valencia, and drew with Villarreal in March and April of that season before being crowned La Liga champions.

Even in the treble-winning season of 2008/09, Barca stuttered in La Liga. Pep Guardiola's team in February lost against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid and drew against Betis, and in the last six games of the campaign, their only success was the magical 6-2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid.

There is no doubt that Barca are currently going through a lean spell in the league but their title aspirations remain very much intact.

Barcelona will next take on title rivals Atletico Madrid on December 22 in their last fixture of the year.