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FC Barcelona have confirmed that Roony Bardghji has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a training session at the club’s Ciutat Esportiva facility. The 20-year-old Swedish winger will undergo surgery, with an expected recovery timeline of six to seven months.
That timeline would effectively wipe out most, if not all, of the 2026/27 season for Bardghji.
A cruel case of deja vu
This is the second ACL tear of Bardghji’s still-young career. The first came in May 2024 while he was still at FC Copenhagen, an injury that kept him sidelined for roughly 10 months. He recovered, completed a move to Barcelona, and seemed to be getting his trajectory back on track.
The injury occurred during a routine training session on Monday. There was no dramatic match incident, no reckless tackle from an opponent.
What Barcelona loses
Bardghji joined FC Barcelona from FC Copenhagen on July 14, 2025, for a base fee of around 2 million euros plus add-ons. In his debut season, Bardghji made 21 appearances for Barcelona.
The plan heading into this summer was reportedly to send Bardghji out on loan. That plan is now shelved entirely.
The broader ACL epidemic in football
What makes Bardghji’s case particularly concerning is the recurrence factor. Research on ACL injuries consistently shows that athletes who have torn the ligament once face a significantly elevated risk of tearing it again. That risk is especially pronounced in younger athletes who return to high-intensity sport.
His first recovery took approximately 10 months. If the current six-to-seven month estimate holds, the timeline would be slightly shorter this time around.
For Bardghji himself, born on November 15, 2005, the math is still theoretically on his side. He’s 20.
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