Barcelona faces major setback with key player set to miss entire season due to injury

Young midfielder Pablo Torre scored his first goal for Barcelona in the 5-1 win over Villarreal, while Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha also bagged a brace each.

Hansi Flick's men remained at the top of La Liga as a result of this win, four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid.

However, it was not all positive for the Catalans, as they lost one of their vital players to a potential season-ending injury.

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is expected to be sidelined for up to eight months after the 32-year-old sustained a knee injury during the team's victory over Villarreal.   

The injury to Ter Stegen is a major blow, as the German goalkeeper has been a key figure for the club since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014, winning five La Liga titles and a Champions League.   

Inaki Pena, a 25-year-old academy graduate, is expected to fill in for Ter Stegen during his absence. Pena has limited first-team experience but will be called upon to deliver consistent performances.

The goalkeeper has conceded 39 goals in 22 matches for Barcelona keeping 5 clean sheets so far.