KIKE BARJA NEWS

Returns to bench Barja (knee) went unused off the bench in Sunday's 2-0 win over Real Sociedad.

Impact Barja returned to the team sheet for the first time this season after tearing his ACL last March. However, the attacker went unused, not seeing any time in his return to play. That said, he will hope to see the field soon, likely seeing more of a rotational role after only starting in three of his 16 appearances last campaign.

OCTOBER 31 • ROTOWIRE

Makes squad list Barja (knee) is on the squad list for Wednesday's Copa del Ray match against Chiclana.

Impact Barja looks to be in for a return after a long absence on the sideline, with the attacker having yet to make his debut. He has been named to the squad list for the match, although he has not been directly cleared for play yet. That said, expect him to face a late fitness test, likely serving off the bench if fit.

OCTOBER 29 • ROTOWIRE

Trains with group Barja (knee) has rejoined team training, according to his club.

Impact Barja has seen a huge improvement in his status, with the attacker returning to training with the group this week. He has not played since March due to ACL surgery and will likely still need plenty more time to recover his fitness, probably not returning until October.

SEPTEMBER 18 • ROTOWIRE

Training individually Barja (knee) has started to train individually, according to his club.

Impact Barja isn't expected to return for some time but is taking steps in the right direction, as he has started to get some work in individually. This is good news for the player who has been out since March due to a torn ACL. He still probably won't return until sometime in November, possibly shortening that gap if everything goes to plan.

AUGUST 22 • ROTOWIRE

Begins light work Barja (knee) is with Osasuna for preseason as he begins light work alone on the grass.

Impact Barja is back with Osasuna to begin his road to recovery again following ACL surgery in March. The midfielder still has a long way to go, though it's a good sign to see him on the grass with minimal discomfort.

JULY 13 • ROTOWIRE

Finally training Barja (knee) was introduced to individual training Wednesday.

Impact Barja is finally back on the training pitch following his surgery after tearing his ACL, having begun to train individually. This is great news for the attacker as he attempts to make his return. However, he most likely still won't be an option for the rest of the season, just working to be fit for the next campaign.

MAY 15 • ROTOWIRE

Tears ACL Barja suffered a torn ACL during Monday's 1-0 win against Alaves and is set to miss the rest of the season, the team confirmed.

Impact Barja feared the worse after coming off in the 15 minute Monday with a serious knee injury that ended up his ACL. He will have a long road to recovery and he is also set to miss part of the 2024/25 season. The midfielder recorded just three starts in 16 appearances, generating 23 crosses (four accurate), six tackles (two won) and five chances created.

MARCH 6 • ROTOWIRE

Injury deemed serious Barja (undisclosed) looks to be in jeopardy of holding a serious injury and missing time, as manager Jagoba Arrasate told reporters, "We are very worried about Kike Barja. We have...

Impact Barja's situation does not look to be good, as even before receiving scans, the club is already worried about a severe injury. This comes after the attacker was forced off the field just 15 minutes into Monday's match against Alaves. Luckily for the team, it shouldn't be the biggest issue if he misses time, as the defender has only started three times in his 16 appearances, notching 293 minutes of play this season. The club will now hold their breath as they wait on his results, hoping that the injury is not as serious as it looks because if it is serious, he probably won't return this season with only three months left in the campaign.

MARCH 5 • ROTOWIRE

Forced off early Barja was forced off with an apparent injury during the first half of Monday's clash with Alaves.

Impact Barja made it just 15 minutes before being forced off the pitch in favor of Moi Gomez. Gomez has largely been the starting option so moving forward he would likely have taken the top job back, even if the injury to Barja doesn't prove to be a serious one.

MARCH 4 • ROTOWIRE

On bench Thursday Barja (hamstring) is on the bench for Thursday's match against Mallorca.

Impact Barja is making his return to the team sheet after spending the club's past four matches on the sidelines dealing with a hamstring injury. The attacker has only started twice all season in his 10 appearances, so expect him to remain in a bench role moving forward, most likely getting some amount of time on the pitch each match.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Back in training Barja (hamstring) completed his second consecutive training session with no setbacks and could be an option to play Thursday at Mallorca.

Impact Barja has missed five games in a row due to a nagging hamstring injury, but the fact that he's been back in training over the last few days is certainly positive. The winger might be an option Thursday, but given he hasn't played since Nov. 11, there's a strong chance he starts the game against Mallorca, if available, as a bench alternative.

DECEMBER 18, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Not an option for Rayo match Barja (hamstring) was not on the squad list and is not an option for Friday's match against Rayo.

Impact Barja is going to be missing his fourth straight match, having yet to recover from a hamstring injury. The midfielder was integrated into partial team training this week, so his return shouldn't be far. He has only served as a bench option for most of the season, registering only two starts, so his absence will not cause any change in the starting XI.

DECEMBER 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Integrated into partial team training Barja (hamstring) returned to partial team training on Wednesday, ahead of the club's match against Rayo on Friday.

Impact Barja was upgraded from individual training to partial team training on Wednesday as he continues his rehabilitation for a hamstring injury. He seems to be nearing a return, possibly getting the nod against Rayo. If he does get that opportunity, he will most likely be on the bench, only starting twice all season.

DECEMBER 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Trains individually Barja (hamstring) was training individually Tuesday.

Impact Barja has yet returned to full training as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. He has only started two of the 10 matches played thus far, limiting to just a bench role for the team.

DECEMBER 5, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Hamstring injury confirmed Barja has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury, the club confirmed Friday.

Impact The speedy forward couldn't complete Thursday's training session and was forced to leave midway through the exercises due to this injury, and now the worst-case scenario has been confirmed. Hamstring injuries are often tricky and hard to predict, but Barja should miss between two to three weeks at a minimum.

NOVEMBER 24, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Picks up injury Thursday Barja didn't finish Thursday's training session after picking up a muscular injury and should be doubtful to face Villarreal on Sunday.

Impact The severity of the injury is unknown and it remains to be seen whether Barja will recover in time to play this weekend, but that's a long shot at this point given the match against Villarreal is only three days away. Barja has struggled to make an impact in 2023-24, starting in just two of his 10 appearances and failing to record a goal or an assist so far.

NOVEMBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sets up goal Sunday Kike Barja assisted once to go with one shot (zero on goal), two crosses (zero accurate) and one chance created in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Girona.

Impact Kike Barja was active on the right wing all game long, and one of his blistering runs ended up in the opening strike when he set up Ante Budimir with a low cross, allowing the Croatian to score from close range. Barja was inconsistent with his numbers at times this season, but he provided a spark upfront, and his pace often caused problems for opposing defenses. He ended the 2022-23 campaign with six assists and one goal across 27 appearances (15 starts).

JUNE 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Substituted in victory Barja generated one shot (zero on goal), four crosses (one accurate) and one chance created in Thursday's 2-0 win against Athletic.

Impact Barja recorded the most crosses in his team (4). He also had one shot, one key pass and one tackle. He has one goal and five assists this season in 25 games and averages 1.1 key passes and 0.6 shots per game.

MAY 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Two assists in win Barja registered two assists in Saturday's 3-2 victory over Real Betis.

Impact Barja was starting his fifth consecutive game and assisted two Ante Budimir's goals which both came within the first 11 minutes. The midfielder was starting his fifth consecutive game and has three assists in his last three. With five in total this season, he has two more than he has managed in any previous season.

APRIL 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Records assist against Elche Barja created three chances and assisted a goal in Saturday's 2-1 victory against Elche. He also took three shots (one on target) in the match.

Impact Barja set up Ez Abde's equalizer with a cross on Saturday to kickstart his side's come-from-behind win. It was his third assist of the season, which ties his personal record across a La Liga campaign from 2020/21.

APRIL 9, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Eight crosses in draw Kike Barja registered one shot (zero on goal), eight crosses (three accurate) and one chance created in Friday's 0-0 draw versus Mallorca.

Impact Barja put in solid work Friday, as he led the team in crosses with eight (three accurate). He also created on chance and took one off target shot on the attack, and helped his defense keep a clean sheet in his 90 minutes of action.

APRIL 1, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Attempts nine crosses in loss Barja attempted nine crosses (two accurate) and created three chances in Sunday's 3-0 loss against Villarreal.

Impact Barja was in the starting eleven having been benched for the previous two games. No other player on the pitch attempted more crosses and Barja also ranked joint first among his teammates for chances created.

MARCH 20, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Assists in win Barja recorded one assist on six chances created, had eight crosses (six accurate) and picked up a yellow card in Sunday's 3-2 win at Sevilla.

Impact Barja assisted the opening goal of the match Sunday, as his cross from a corner found David Garcia's head in the 18th minute to take an early lead. This was by far his best performance of the season, as he shattered some of his season bests. He created six chances in 81 minutes Sunday, after having just seven total in his 12 previous appearances this season. He also whipped in his most crosses (eight) and by far his most accurate crosses with six, again nearly matching his season total in just one match. While this performance seems to be a bit out of the blue, he has had a high volume of crosses when he plays significant minutes. So, if Barja can see more playing time, more assists could follow.

FEBRUARY 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Seven crosses in 12 minutes Kike Barja recorded seven crosses (two accurate) in Sunday's 1-0 loss versus Atletico Madrid.

Impact Barja put up an unbelievable stat on Sunday, totaling the same number of crosses last match in just 16% of playing time compared to last game. He continues to be a key substitute for Osasuna as he ups his average crosses per contest to 4.1 with 14 (three accurate) in the last two matches.

JANUARY 29, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Gets first assist of year Kike Barja assisted once to go with seven crosses (one accurate) in Sunday's 1-1 draw versus Elche.

Impact Barja got his first start in four matches and found Chimy Avila to knock in his first assist of the campaign. His role for Osasuna is a bench player and a fill in for injured players. In nine appearances the Spaniard has totaled a goal, and assist, 34 crosses (four accurate) and five chances created thus far.

JANUARY 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE