Devastating blow to La Masia: Sama Nomoko suffers a career-threatening injury

A very hard blow for La Masia and for FC Barcelona's youth football. The young winger Sama Nomoko, one of the great promises of the Barça club, has undergone surgery after suffering a serious knee injury and will be out of action for a long period of time.

The 17-year-old footballer was injured during the Youth League match against Eintracht. Medical tests confirmed the worst-case scenario: a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee with associated damage to both menisci.

The medical report confirming the worst prognosis for Sama Nomoko

The Blaugrana club announced on Tuesday that Sama Nomoko has undergone surgery and that the estimated recovery time will be approximately 12 months. This means the winger will not be able to compete again until well into 2027

The surgery was performed at the Hospital de Barcelona and was carried out by Dr. Juan Carlos Monllau, under the supervision of the Club's Medical Services

This is a very serious injury, similar to those suffered by first-team players such as Gavi or Marc Bernal, both of whom had very prolonged periods out before being able to return to competitive action.

The action that chilled Johan Cruyff and set off all alarms

The injury occurred just 34 minutes into the match. Nomoko received the ball on the right wing, in the opponent's half, and faced the opposing defender, a common move in his game. A slight contact deflected his right leg, and as he landed his foot on the ground, the tear occurred.

The winger immediately raised his hand, aware that it was not a normal action. Play stopped, and Barça's medical services quickly sensed the seriousness of the situation. The young footballer's cries of pain froze the main stands of the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

The Profile of a Differential Winger Who Will Now Have to Slow His Progression

Born in Mali, Sama Nomoko had established himself as a right winger with a natural left foot and great dribbling ability. He stood out for his decision-making, his ease in reaching the byline, and his precision in the final pass.

Capable of playing both inside and outside, Nomoko had taken a step forward in his goal-scoring contribution in recent months. He was splitting his season between Barça Atlètic in Segunda RFEF and the U19s in the Youth League. Now, his growth will have to be temporarily halted, with the clear objective of returning stronger after one of the toughest tests of his young career.