Guadalajara's Samu Mayo, left, vies for the ball with Barcelona's...

Guadalajara's Samu Mayo, left, vies for the ball with Barcelona's Andreas Christensen during the Copa del Rey soccer match between Guadalajara and Barcelona in Guadalajara, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. Credit: AP/Rudy Garcia

BARCELONA — Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen faces a long spell on the sidelines after tearing the ACL in his left knee in training on Saturday.

Barcelona said Sunday in a statement on X that the injury happened when the Danish central defender twisted his knee.

Defending champion Barcelona leads the La Liga standings and was playing at Villarreal later Sunday.

The 29-year-old Christensen has made 97 appearances for Barca since joining in 2022. He has played 79 times for Denmark.

The injury is likely to rule him out of Denmark's World Cup playoff semifinal against North Macedonia on March 26.

The European playoff finals are five days later against Czech Republic or Ireland, with the winner going into Group A at the World Cup alongside co-host Mexico.

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