Barcelona’s Luis Suarez Injures Hamstring; No Timetable For Return

Luis Suarez’s misfortune could deny the soccer world of two of the most anticipated reunion shows in recent memory.

FC Barcelona forward Suarez injured his hamstring Tuesday during his team’s UEFA Champions League semifinal game against Bayern Munich, the Spanish club announced Thursday, according to the Guardian. Suarez played only 49 minutes Tuesday after injuring the leg muscle in the first half. Suarez will undergo physiotherapy, and Barcelona has not set a timetable for his return to action.

“Luis Suárez, with a hamstring strain in his left leg, will have physiotherapy and the progress of his recovery will determine when he can train again,” Barcelona said on its website.

Hamstring injuries often take weeks to recover, and Suarez’s strain either could diminish his potential impact in the final four games of Barcelona’s season or prevent him from playing altogether.

Barcelona is competing for the La Liga (Spanish first division), Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) and UEFA Champions League titles, and Suarez is a key component of its fearsome attack. Suarez has scored 24 goals and assisted 16 more in all competitions in his first season with Barcelona.

Many hope Suarez will be fit enough to play against Juventus on June 6 in the Champions League final if only to see him line up against defenders Patrice Evra, who he racially abused during a 2011 Premier League game, and Giorgio Chiellini, who he bit during a 2014 FIFA World Cup game. Suarez’s potential reunions with Evra and Chiellini are two of the top stoylines of the final game of European soccer’s elite competition.