FC Barcelona faced a nightmare scenario as two of their top players succumbed to injuries in their recent La Liga fixture against Athletic Club on Sunday, March 3, at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain.

Midfielder Frenkie De Jong was forced off on a stretcher in the 26th minute following an awkward landing on his right ankle, and Fermín López stepped in as his replacement. The Dutchman had already spent two months on the sidelines earlier in the season due to a sprained ankle.

In another blow, midfielder Pedri appeared to injure a leg muscle in the 45th minute and was visibly emotional on the bench after being substituted by forward Lamine Yamal just before the conclusion of the first half.

"The injuries to Pedri and De Jong are not looking good. We are sad about these two absences, which will be for quite a few games I imagine," Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez said after the match.

Barcelona's title hopes take hit

Barcelona was unable to climb in the league standings as the game concluded in a 0-0 draw. They maintained their position in third place in the La Liga standings with 58 points, trailing the league leader, Real Madrid, with 66 points.

With eleven league games left to play, Barcelona faces a challenge in pursuing the top spot while facing an injury crisis in the midfield.