Barcelona B forward Hiroki Abe will be sidelined for five months after undergoing surgery for a ruptured tendon in his right hamstring, the Spanish team said Tuesday.
The 21-year-old underwent successful surgery in Finland for the injury he sustained during a league match on Feb. 2, according to the team.
The injury has cast a shadow over his bid to compete at this summer's Tokyo Olympics, where men's soccer will be contested by under-23 teams containing a limited number of overage players.
After making his senior national team debut last summer at the 2019 Copa America, he was named to Japan's under-22 team for international friendlies held in preparation for the Olympics.
Abe has scored four goals in 20 matches for Barcelona B since joining last summer from the J. League's Kashima Antlers.