Gerard Pique may out for up to a month after injury in "Battle of Cornella"

The Spain defender is a doubt for the Champions League tie against Chelsea after leaving the RCDE Stadium carrying a knock after a fesity derbi barceloní.

Gerard Piqué had his say in the Barcelona derby on Sunday, scoring the equaliser after being hounded by the crowd throughout the game and putting his finger to his lips in response after denying Espanyol a first Liga derby win since 2009.

However, on Monday the defender was undergoing tests on an unidentified injury that could see him on the sidelines for up to a month. Piqué's problem probably stems from a robust challenge by Gerard Moreno in the second half, which precipitated a melee between the two sides and left Piqué limping after the impact. If Piqué is ruled out for a month he will miss the Champions League tie against Chelsea, handing Ernesto Valverde a problem as Thomas Vermaelen is also out injured.

January signing Yerry Mina could be rushed into action after just a few training sessions to bring him up to speed before the last 16 clash against the Premier League champions. "We are not in pre-season and there is no time for experiments. We are in a crucial part of the season and when he is needed to play, he'll play," Valverde said a few days ago.

With Barcelona now preparing for the Copa del Rey return leg against Valencia on Thursday, AS understands that Piqué has remained inside as the Ciutat Esportiva undergoing tests to determine the extent of his injury.