Barcelona phenom Fati to miss 4 months after having knee surgery

Barcelona prodigy Ansu Fati will be sidelined for “approximately four months” after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the club announced Monday.

The 18-year-old forward suffered the injury during Saturday’s 5-2 win over Real Betis.

The Spanish international has been one of Barcelona’s few bright lights this season, racking up five goals and two assists in 10 matches across all competitions. Despite his age, he’s already made 43 appearances for the Catalan club, smashing several records along the way.

Earlier this season, Fati became the first player in Champions League history to record multiple goals in the competition before turning 18.

He also struck up an impressive understanding with Lionel Messi, linking up with the Argentine megastar and giving manager Ronald Koeman another valuable attacking weapon to help offset the continued struggles of Antoine Griezmann.

Assuming he can stay fit for a prolonged period of time, the oft-injured Ousmane Dembele, along with Philippe Coutinho, will be tasked with filling the void and replacing the teen phenom’s verve and production up front.