FC Barcelona guard Kevin Punter faces a six-week recovery after sustaining a syndesmosis sprain in his left ankle, SPORT reported following the club’s medical confirmation.
The injury occurred during the closing moments of the second quarter in Sunday’s Liga Endesa fixture against Río Breogán at the Palau Blaugrana. Tevin Brown slipped during a loose ball contest and collided with Punter, sending the Barcelona captain airborne before his left ankle twisted upon impact with the playing surface.
Punter attempted to continue playing before walking off unassisted with 55 seconds remaining in the first half. He did not return for the second half of the 99-91 victory, and subsequent medical examinations revealed a tear in the syndesmotic ligament connecting the tibia and fibula, according to Eurohoops.
𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗘̀𝗗𝗜𝗖 Kevin Punter té un esquinçament de la sindesmosi del turmell esquerre. El temps de recuperació previst és d'unes sis setmanes. Tosan Evbuomwan té una ruptura muscular del múscul oblic de la paret abdominal. El temps de recuperació previst és… pic.twitter.com/313vhiWA8o
Punter averages 15.9 points per game in the EuroLeague, ranking seventh overall in continental scoring, alongside 10.4 points per contest in domestic play. Head coach Aleksander Sekulic will be without his leading scorer for approximately fifteen matches across both competitions.
The absence rules Punter out of upcoming EuroLeague encounters against Panathinaikos, Fenerbahçe, and Real Madrid, among others. Club projections indicate his earliest possible return could arrive in late December against Bilbao Basket or during the 19th round fixture against ASVEL on December 22.
🚨ALERTA PUNTER 🗣️Solozábal ha definit l'acció que ha deixat tocat el turmell del capità del Barça com "una entrada de futbol" ❤️🔥Divendres els de Sekulic posaran a prova la ratxa de 7 victòries a la difícil pista del Panathinaikos, líder de l'Eurolligahttps://t.co/06vfZLXhTI pic.twitter.com/zuNDFRmKQ9
Forward Tosan Evbuomwan also sustained an injury during Sunday’s contest against Río Breogán, exiting in the third quarter following a heavy impact to his ribs. Medical evaluations confirmed a tear in the oblique muscle of the abdominal wall, requiring a three-week recovery period.
Evbuomwan aims to return for Barcelona’s first Clásico of the season against Real Madrid on December 3, following the upcoming FIBA international break. The British forward previously missed the start of the campaign due to a left shoulder subluxation sustained in September and only made his club debut on October 9 against Žalgiris.
Barcelona’s recent roster concerns extend beyond the latest two absences. Guards Juan Núñez and Umoja Gibson missed the Breogán fixture due to an ankle sprain and a knee knock respectively, while center Yoan Makoundou remains sidelined without an official club debut due to a left knee issue carried over from the previous season.
Despite the depleted rotation, Barcelona secured a 99-91 win over Breogán powered by 16 points each from Darío Brizuela and Joel Parra, alongside 14 points from Olek Balcerowski and a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double from Tyrese Martin. Sekulic’s side now prepares for Friday’s EuroLeague fixture against table-leading Panathinaikos at the OAKA in Athens.
⚖️ El Barça acaba con un combativo Breogán, pero paga un alto precio con las lesiones 👉 Los de Aleksander Sekulic derrotaron al cuadro gallego por 99-91, pero Kevin Punter y Tosan Evbuomwan no pudieron terminar el partido a causa de un esguince de tobillo y a un fuerte golpe en…
