Soccer-Morata injury adds to Atletico striker woes before Barca clash

Atletico Madrid forward Alvaro Morata is almost certainly out of Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at La Liga leaders Barcelona after the capital club said in a statement he had sprained his ankle in Tuesday's 2-0 win at home to Girona. Atletico did not state how long the Spain striker would be sidelined but reports in Spanish media ruled him out of action for two weeks, adding to the team's shortages in attack ahead of the game that could make or break their title ambitions.

Atletico trail Barca by eight points with eight games left but Diego Costa faces a battle to be fit after missing the Girona win with a muscle problem, while France winger Thomas Lemar is not expected back from injury for another two weeks. The club's top scorer this season Frenchman Antoine Griezmann and Croatian forward Niko Kalinic are coach Diego Simeone's only fit forwards for the trip to the Nou Camp, where Atletico have not won in any competition since 2006.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; editing by Ken Ferris)