Barcelona’s Dembele out 3-4 weeks because of muscle injury

Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele, pictured above. (Francisco Seco/AP)

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona says forward Ousmane Dembele will be sidelined for up to a month because of a left leg muscle injury, putting in doubt his availability for the Champions League quarterfinals.

Dembele was a second-half substitute as Barcelona routed Lyon 5-1 in the second leg of the round of 16 on Wednesday, scoring the fifth goal at Camp Nou Stadium.

The team says tests on Thursday show a ruptured muscle, and the player will need three to four weeks to recover.

The first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals begin on April 9.

Dembele has been a regular in the starting lineup. The Frenchman has 14 goals with Barcelona this season, three in the Champions League. He hadn’t scored since a Spanish league match in January.

Barcelona is entering the final period of the Spanish league, where it has a seven-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid.

It will face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final in May.

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