Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic could miss Real Madrid clash with injury

Ivan Rakitic is a doubt for El Clasico after suffering a calf injury in Barcelona's Champions League win over BATE Borisov.

The Croat was taken off after 20 minutes of the 3-0 victory on Wednesday as Barca's injury problems mounted.

He is the 16th player to have been sidelined this season and is struggling to be fit for the clash against Real Madrid on November 21. 

"The tests carried out by the Barcelona medical staff confirm that Ivan Rakitic has a small tear in his right calf," a statement from the club said.

"The player will miss the game against Villarreal and his recovery will dictate his availability for the following matches."

While Lionel Messi could return for the game, Barca head coach Luis Enrique said he is unsure whether Rakitic will be available and rued his side's recent luck with injuries.

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"We try to take care of them, but it's hard," he said. "We don't know the reason, but for players who play with national teams and club teams, they have a lot of minutes, and we're not having a lot of luck there.

"Whenever anyone gets injured it's always a shame. The injury does not allow us to rest."