Barcelona veteran Ilkay Gundogan was one of the bright lights in a difficult season, arrived from Manchester City in a free and played all his games, but two. He also performed in a variety of different roles in the midfield.
Although most of the concern for the injury has surrounded including Pedri and Lamine Yamal, Gundogan's workload is certainly a cause for it at Can Barca. This season he played 51 times for the Blaugrana providing 5 goals and 14 assists, but accumulating 4,180 minutes. Including his 14 appearances for Germany, Brand say that he is up to 5,205 minutes this year.
João Félix's stay at Barcelona is increasingly unlikely. The plan is for Ansu Fati and Raphinha to take over in his absence, with the hope of adding Nico Williams as well. @ffpolo
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 4, 2024
If he plays against Spain on Friday night, it will also be his 66th game of the season, well surpassing his previous high of 59 games. While that hasn't been the case for some time, it's worth remembering that Gundogan has suffered from injuries frequently earlier in his career.
It will take some time to recover from his efforts, and again Barcelona Manager Hansi Flick will have to balance the immediate pressure to win with allowing the 33-year-old to rest well after the Euros. He showed how crucial he was for them last season, but asking the same of him this year seems like it might be asking too much.
