Champions Barcelona were left furious after squandering a chance to reduce the gap on LaLiga leaders Real Madrid after being held to a disappointing 0-0 draw at Athletic Club on Sunday.
With Real shedding points on Saturday after a 2-2 draw at Valencia, Barcelona was aiming to score a win that would allow them to narrow the gap on the pacesetters while also leapfrogging Girona into second place in the rankings.
Instead, Sunday's draw left them trailing Real by eight points and one point behind surprise package Girona, who sit on 59 after losing 1-0 to Mallorca earlier that day.
Barcelona suffered two injuries, with midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Pedri forced out in the first half.
De Jong was taken off the pitch in the 26th minute after landing awkwardly on his right foot during a challenge with a rival player.
Pedri fled the pitch in tears just before halftime after appearing to have injured his right leg.
The 21-year-old midfielder has suffered nine leg muscle injuries since the end of the 2020-21 season.
"It's a sad day," Xavi told Movistar Plus.
"We'll learn more about their injuries between now and tomorrow, but things don't look good. We were both affected by that, and I believe they will be out for several matches."
In a lukewarm first half, Barcelona's Joao Cancelo came closest to scoring when his effort from near the halfway line arched over Athletic's custodian but was pushed away by a defensive player.
The home side was more proactive after the break, with Inaki Williams and Alex Berenguer posing regular threats.
However, they were frustrated by a strong Barcelona defence, which resisted late pressure to earn a point against an in-form club vying for a top-four finish.
Athletic, who came into the game on the heels of a 10-match home winning streak in all competitions, is fifth in the standings with 50 points, five behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
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