Former Barcelona player misses Conference League qualification match following freak dog accident

Carles Perez, a former FC Barcelona player, was forced to miss his team’s latest match due to a dog bite - (Getty Images)

Former Barcelona forward Carles Perez missed a game for Greek club Aris on Thursday after he was injured by a dog bite.

The 27-year-old, on loan at Aris from Celta Vigo, was due to play their UEFA Conference League qualification match against Azerbaijani side Araz-Naxçıvan.

The incident occurred two days prior, when Perez was out walking his dog and encountered a second animal.

“I had the misfortune of suffering a bite on the inside of my leg while trying to separate my dog from another dog during a minor and unexpected incident,” Perez, on loan from Celta Vigo, wrote on Instagram.

“The wound required stitches, which, although not serious, prevents me from being in optimal condition to compete tonight.”

Perez wrote that he was “very sorry” he can't be on the field.

Carles Perez previously played for Roma and Getafe (Associated Press)

He added that he was “recovering at home" and expected to be back with the team in a couple of days.

Thursday's game ended in a 2-2 draw. Araz-Naxçıvan had won the first leg 2-1, so the Greek side advanced on a 4-3 aggregate score.

Before the game, Aris manager Marinos Ouzounidis confirmed that Perez would have started the clash. Ouzounidis said: "Carles would have been in the starting line-up.

"This incident happened but we can’t dwell on it any longer. My mind is working on alternative solutions and we have worked on them.

“That’s why I insist that it’s important to have players with personality. So I’m interested in the group of players that I will have at my disposal, to give the most they can.”

Perez rose through Barcelona’s youth system and made his La Liga debut in 2019. He later transferred to Roma initially on a loan move before sealing a permanent transfer to the Italian club in 2020.

In 2023, Perez moved to Celta Vigo after a successful loan move. He has since made loan moves to fellow Spanish side Getafe and his current side Aris.

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