“He Was in Perfect Condition!” – Barcelona’s Injury War with Spain Continues

Luis de la Fuente Makes Contradictory Claim About Dani Olmo as Club vs Country Tension Deepens

It’s starting to feel like déjà vu at FC Barcelona. Once again, the Catalan giants find themselves locked in a familiar and frustrating battle with the Spanish national team — this time over Dani Olmo’s injury.

The 27-year-old midfielder, one of the most technically gifted players in Xavi Hernández’s rebuilt Barcelona side, was forced to withdraw from Spain’s latest international camp after picking up what was described as “muscle discomfort.” But depending on who you ask, the story behind his absence seems to change by the hour.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente insists that Olmo was “in perfect condition” before things worsened. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), meanwhile, says he arrived at training already fatigued. And somewhere in the middle, Barcelona are left frustrated — once again seeing one of their key men return to Catalonia injured after international duty.

The Latest Chapter in a Growing Saga

Olmo joined the Spain squad last week following Barcelona’s bruising 4-1 defeat to Sevilla in La Liga. Despite completing that match, he reportedly felt discomfort in his left calf soon after arriving at Spain’s training camp.

Initially, the hope was that it was nothing serious — a tight muscle, perhaps the result of fatigue. However, as Mundo Deportivo reported, the discomfort worsened as the week went on. By Friday, on the eve of Spain’s World Cup qualifying clash with Georgia, it became clear that Olmo wouldn’t feature.

De la Fuente confirmed his omission, saying the staff “made the decision for his health and safety,” and that Olmo would not be fit in time for Spain’s next match on Tuesday. Instead, he was sent back to Barcelona for treatment — the latest in a worrying pattern that has Blaugrana fans shaking their heads.

Spain went on to defeat Georgia 2-0 thanks to goals from Yeremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal, but the post-match discussion quickly shifted from victory celebrations to the contradictions surrounding Olmo’s injury.

The RFEF’s Version: Fatigue Turned to Discomfort

A day later, the RFEF released an official statement outlining their view of the situation. According to the federation, Olmo arrived at the camp showing “signs of muscle fatigue” — something Barcelona’s medical team had already flagged before his release.

The statement read:

“FC Barcelona player arrived at the training camp last Monday with signs of muscle fatigue, as reported by the club. Since then, the symptoms have gradually improved with treatment and training regimens. Therefore, today, the forward was scheduled to participate exclusively in a portion of the scheduled training session where he reported muscle discomfort in his left leg.”

In other words, Spain’s version is that they followed protocol, managed his workload, and only encountered a setback late in the week. On paper, that all sounds reasonable. But De la Fuente’s own comments later seemed to completely contradict this timeline.

De la Fuente’s Contradictory Take: “He Was in Perfect Condition”

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Speaking to reporters after the Georgia game, De la Fuente described the situation very differently.

“Dani was in perfect condition,” he said. “There was no medical report. He simply had a minor discomfort. He hadn’t trained all week, thinking his progress would be better, but eventually the discomfort worsened. We decided, for his health and safety, that he should leave the camp, knowing that he was unlikely to be back for Tuesday.”

If Olmo was indeed “in perfect condition” — why was he not training all week? And if there was “no medical report,” how did the RFEF already know about his muscle fatigue? The contradictions are obvious, and Barcelona’s patience is wearing thin.

The Catalan club has remained officially silent so far, but sources close to the team have hinted that frustration is bubbling under the surface. This isn’t the first time in recent months that a Barça player has returned from Spain duty carrying an injury.

Barcelona vs Spain: The Cold War Continues

Back in September, teenage sensation Lamine Yamal also picked up a knock while playing for La Roja, leaving Hansi Flick furious. The German coach, who has repeatedly emphasized the importance of rest and load management for his young stars, didn’t hide his frustration back then.

“I want to protect my player,” Flick said at the time. “A lot of things happened. It’s not easy for me, it’s not easy for De la Fuente. But I must protect my player — that’s why I made it louder than I usually would. I don’t regret it. What’s important now is managing this together: the players, the clubs, and the Spanish Federation. We have to manage it together.”

De la Fuente’s response was rather dismissive. “Do you think I’m here, celebrating a win, and thinking about what Hansi Flick said?” he asked reporters. “No, I’m not interested.”

Fast forward to October, and the exact same tension has resurfaced. Different player, same problem.

A Clash of Philosophies

At the heart of the issue lies a fundamental disagreement between national team managers and club coaches. For Spain, every international window is a chance to fine-tune tactics and build chemistry ahead of major tournaments. For clubs like Barcelona, those same windows represent unnecessary risks — interruptions to training schedules, long travel, and, worst of all, potential injuries to key players.

Olmo, a creative playmaker who thrives between the lines, has been a central figure in Xavi’s system this season. His intelligence, versatility, and link-up play with Robert Lewandowski make him irreplaceable. Losing him — even for a few weeks — could derail Barça’s rhythm in a crucial part of the campaign.

That’s why this situation feels more serious than a simple communication breakdown. It speaks to a wider problem between Barcelona and the RFEF, one that has been simmering for years.

De la Fuente Under Scrutiny

Luis de la Fuente, now 64, has done a fine job rebuilding Spain’s national team on the pitch. Under his guidance, La Roja have regained much of their old identity: fluid passing, positional discipline, and a blend of youth and experience that paid off with their Euro 2024 triumph.

But off the pitch, his handling of player fitness has come under increasing scrutiny. Critics say he has been too dismissive of club concerns, and his communication style — calm but sometimes contradictory — hasn’t helped.

The Olmo situation is a prime example. Saying a player was “in perfect condition” while simultaneously admitting they didn’t train all week only adds fuel to the fire. It makes the Spanish federation look disorganized, and it leaves Barcelona questioning whether their players are being properly managed on international duty.

A Growing List of Concerns

It’s worth noting that Barcelona’s injury problems aren’t limited to the international break. The club has already been dealing with several absentees this season — Pedri, Ronald Araújo, and Frenkie de Jong among them. Each setback adds more pressure on Flick’s thin squad, making any further injuries, like Olmo’s, particularly painful.

Within the club, there’s reportedly a growing belief that more communication is needed between team doctors. “We all want the same thing,” one insider told Marca. “Healthy players. But sometimes it feels like the national team takes unnecessary risks. It’s not about blame — it’s about cooperation.”

Looking Ahead

For now, Olmo is expected to undergo further assessment in Barcelona, with early reports suggesting the injury isn’t serious but will keep him sidelined for at least 10 days. The hope is that he’ll be ready to return before the end of the month.

But the damage to relations between Barcelona and Spain might take longer to heal. Each incident, each contradictory statement, adds another layer of mistrust. And unless both sides find a way to communicate clearly and prioritize player welfare, it’s hard to see how this “injury war” ends.

Conclusion: A Familiar Story with No Winners

In the end, everyone loses when club and country collide. Barcelona lose a key player. Spain lose credibility. And Dani Olmo, caught in the middle, just wants to play football.

De la Fuente’s insistence that “he was in perfect condition” might have been an attempt to downplay the issue, but it’s only highlighted the ongoing friction between Spain’s coaching staff and one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

As the international calendar becomes even more congested, the margin for error — and for miscommunication — keeps shrinking. Barcelona’s patience, however, might already be gone.