Luis Enrique hopeful over ´serious´ Vidal injury

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is remaining positive about Aleix Vidal’s ankle injury sustained in Saturday’s 6-0 win over Alaves, but acknowledged it is “serious”.

The Catalan’s swept Alaves aside with ease at Mendizorroza, with Luis Suarez scoring twice, while Neymar, Lionel Messi, an Alexis Ruano own-goal and Ivan Rakitic added the rest.

But the win was ultimately overshadowed by a horrible ankle injury to Vidal in the closing stages, the right-back colliding with Alaves youngster Theo Hernandez in a 50-50 tackle.

The concern among team-mates and opponents was obvious while television replays showed the graphic extent of Vidal’s injury.

 Luis Enrique: “We really regret the injury to Aleix Vidal. We hope that it’s not too serious.”

FINAL: ALA 0-6 FCB #AlavésFCB #ForçaBarça! pic.twitter.com/vo9Mmw48cA

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“We knew from the outset that he really hurt himself,” Luis Enrique said. “It’s a shame for the player, the team and for Barca.

“Hopefully he will recover well, that I am sure he will. It is something serious but we have to wait for the analysis of the doctors.

“Aleix’s exit troubled us. It is not nice to see a serious injury to a footballer, but he is in very good hands.”

Although unsurprisingly saddened by Vidal’s injury, Luis Enrique was full of praise for his team’s performance and referred to it as being “complete”.

“There are many things to analyse,” he continued. “But in a match in which the opponent closes down we have to control many areas and I think we did that.

“We had a very good match, reaching the heights demanded and generating spaces.

“In spite of the change of system of Alaves, we knew to take advantage of its spaces. It was a complete game in which we had half an hour left for everyone.”