The difference between the case of Dani Olmo and that of Huijsen

The footballer will leave the Spanish national team camp this Saturday due to a calf injury. According to the medical report issued by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the player arrived with some discomfort and a bit of muscle fatigue. A situation that resembled the case of Real Madrid´s Dean Huijsen, who was withdrawn after undergoing a medical test that confirmed a muscle injury that will keep him off the field for 10 to 15 days.

Two situations with different nuances

Although the two cases may seem similar, there is a key difference. Dani Olmo presented himself in better condition than Huijsen. In his case, the discomfort in his left leg was mild and only required specific treatment, so initially, it was not necessary to perform any medical tests. In contrast, the Real Madrid player, not showing improvement, was examined by doctors, who detected a real injury. Therefore, Huijsen was not released solely due to muscle fatigue, but due to an injury confirmed later by Real Madrid in Valdebebas, after medical tests conducted at their training facility.

The injury on Thursday

The problem for Dani Olmo arose during Thursday´s training when he felt a strong discomfort in one of his calves. Although at first it did not seem serious —the player even participated later in a promotional event for the national team—, this Friday the worst news arrived. As soon as the session began, Olmo noticed that the pain prevented him from completing the training normally and had to leave the field accompanied by the national team´s doctors. The RFEF has clarified that it has maintained direct communication with FC Barcelona at all times to monitor the player´s progress. From the Catalan club, it was understood that the initial discomfort was not concerning, beyond the accumulated fatigue after the matches against PSG and Sevilla.

Same protocol, different diagnosis

In the case of Huijsen, the problems manifested from the first training session. In Tuesday´s session, the center-back was on the pitch for barely ten minutes before leaving. In fact, he didn´t even get to put on his boots: he only did light work on a stationary bike. The medical tests on Wednesday confirmed the injury, and he was immediately withdrawn. That same type of test was performed on Dani Olmo this Friday, where a muscle injury was also confirmed. The Federation, consequently, activated the same protocol in both cases.

A hard blow for Olmo and for Barça

Still, Dani Olmo´s injury represents a more sensitive blow, as the player arrived at the camp with great motivation and the intention of regaining his best version with the Spanish national team. At FC Barcelona, he has not yet shown all his potential this season and was hoping to take advantage of these matches with La Roja to assert himself. Ultimately, that will not be possible. This Saturday, the attacking midfielder will return to Barcelona while his teammates will travel to Elche to face Georgia in the first of two qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. The medical services of Barça will examine him upon his return to determine the exact extent of the injury and estimate the recovery time, with an eye on the big goal: to be ready in time for the Classico on October 26.