Barcelona defender Christensen faces long spell out after tearing ACL in left knee at training

By Canadian Press on December 21, 2025.

BARCELONA (AP) — Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen faces a long spell on the sidelines after tearing the ACL in his left knee in training on Saturday.

Barcelona said Sunday in a statement on X that the injury happened when the Danish central defender twisted his knee.

Defending champion Barcelona leads the La Liga standings and was playing at Villarreal later Sunday.

The 29-year-old Christensen has made 97 appearances for Barca since joining in 2022. He has played 79 times for Denmark.

The injury is likely to rule him out of Denmark’s World Cup playoff semifinal against North Macedonia on March 26.

The European playoff finals are five days later against Czech Republic or Ireland, with the winner going into Group A at the World Cup alongside co-host Mexico.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press