After 15 minutes: injury nightmare continues to haunt former Barcelona star

The nightmare of injuries has returned to haunt Ansu Fati, the former Barcelona star now plying his trade with France's Monaco.

The newspaper Sport reported that Fati suffered a fresh physical setback on Sunday evening, during Monaco's match against Lille in the French league.

He lasted barely 15 minutes before asking to come off, troubled by pain in the back of his right leg.

The early signs are not encouraging. Everything points to a muscle injury. But the exact diagnosis and expected recovery period will only become clear once Fati undergoes medical tests at Monaco over the coming hours.

Fati walked off under his own steam, visibly frustrated, knowing this latest blow has struck during one of the most important spells of his recent career.

The timing stings. Fati had begun to rediscover his best level. After enduring a genuine ordeal lasting nearly four months, sidelined by physical problems, he had finally regained consistency and confidence.

His numbers gave real cause for optimism. He scored two goals in his last three matches, proof that he still carries the goalscoring instinct that made him one of the most promising talents in European football.

Monaco was supposed to be his chance to shake off the spectre of injuries that has blighted so much of his career. The forward had started to find his place in the team and recover a prominent role, after long months of uncertainty.

Now he faces a fresh ordeal. The worry runs deeper than the severity of any injury, threatening the consistency he fought so hard to rebuild.

So, as he waits for the final diagnosis, Fati finds himself in all too familiar territory. Just as he seemed to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel, his body has thrown up another test.