Sergio Agüero is set to spend at least another day in hospital after having cardiological tests following Barcelona’s draw against Alavés on Saturday.
The former Manchester City striker had to be taken off in the 41st minute after experiencing respiratory problems. There was no apparent collision on the pitch, but Agüero eventually put his hand on his chest and asked for medical attention. After being assessed by the club’s doctors he left the Nou Camp in an ambulance.
The 33-year-old will stay in hospital for further tests and sources close to the player confirmed to The Times that Agüero is feeling well and relaxed.
The club plan to keep him under observation and he will only be allowed to return to action once he is deemed fit to play. It means that the Argentina forward will miss Barcelona’s two matches before the next international break, including a must-win Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev.
Agüero has just started to make an impact after his move from City in the summer. Saturday’s match was his second start after scoring his first goal in the Clasico against Real Madrid last week.
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A calf injury in pre-season had kept him sidelined for the first two months of the season. He has so far played five times for Barcelona.
Barcelona will also be without the experienced central defender Gerard Piqué for tomorrow’s crucial Champions League game after suffering a calf injury. “Tests this morning confirmed Piqué has a right calf strain and will be out for the forseeable future,” Barcelona said on their website.
The 34-year-old limped off in the 70th minute of the 1-1 draw against Alavés in what was the club’s first match since the sacking of head coach Ronald Koeman. The result left Barcelona ninth in La Liga, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Sergi Barjuán has taken charge of the side on an interim basis, with Xavi expected to replace Koeman during the international break.
Barcelona are third in their Champions League group after losing their first two games: 3-0 against Bayern Munich and Benfica before beating Kiev 1-0 with a goal from Piqué.
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They have not been eliminated from the group stage of the Champions League since 2000 and have reached the knockout stages in each of the past 17 seasons in which they have qualified for Europe’s elite.
