Three-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner and Barcelona legend Aitana Bonmatí was sidelined for the best part of six months after suffering a broken leg while training with Spain in November 2025.
While the 28-year-old was able to make a comeback with Barça back in May, playing four Liga F games en route to her seventh title, both the UEFA Champions League semi-final and their final win against OL Lyonnes, followed by two World Cup qualifiers, the midfielder has not been seen on a pitch since.
Bonmatí has missed the first four games of Barcelona’s Liga F title defense, with Pere Romeu’s side having claimed all 12 points on offer, scoring a league-high 19 goals and conceding a league-low two in the process.
Bonmatí helped Barcelona secure the quadruple last season -Credit:Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Meanwhile, their Champions League campaign is set to kick off on Wednesday when they host 2025/2026 Première Ligue runners-up Paris FC, before traveling to Logroño United on Saturday.
Addressing her continued absence, the 83-time international told ESPN, “I had a serious injury last season.
“In terms of all the tests and scans, everything is perfect, but there are some things which are uncontrollable, like the pain, right? It limits you.
“I was tired of living with the pain, not just playing and training, but in my daily life. So I took the decision with the club to follow an individual plan at the start of this season to return as soon as possible, above all, without pain.
“I don’t know if I will be back 100 percent clear of pain, I don’t know if it’s possible, but that’s what we’re working towards.”
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Bonmatí went on to add, “I’m not doing this for the World Cup (in 2027). [The World Cup] is very important for me and the team, but the precautions I am taking are to ensure I have a long career and am able to play the rest of my career as well as I can and without pain.”
Exactly when fans might see Bonmatí back on the pitch remains up in the air. However, its possibly that she could look to make her long-awaited return when Barcelona hosts Real Madrid on October 4, or possibly delay her comeback a little longer and aim for Arsenal’s visit on November 11.
“I hope to be back before the Arsenal game. Playing Champions League games at Camp Nou is always special,” she said. “[The Clásico?] I never say never. I hope to be back by then and be available for that game. I don’t have a return date, I can be honest about that, but there’s not long to go.”
Whenever Bonmatí does return, she’ll be looking to help her side secure back-to-back quadruples – something the club has yet to achieve, having previously won the quadruple back in 2024.
As for her international comeback, Spain is next set to take on fellow 2027 World Cup hopefuls, the U.S. Women’s National Team, on October 10 and 13, which could be a stretch given the approximate timeline she provided.
