Barcelona lose two key pillars for Champions League games
Both full-backs have suffered tears which will keep them out of action for more than a month.
Barcelona are dealing with seriously bad news. In Alejandro Balde’s case, almost everyone feared a serious setback after seeing him leave the pitch close to tears, clearly aware of the injury. This morning, those fears were confirmed. Although there has not yet been an official statement, AS can confirm that tests have revealed a tear in his left hamstring, which will sideline him for approximately five weeks.
There had been slight hope that Jules Koundé’s hamstring issue was not as serious. However, reality has once again been cruel to the Blaugrana. Tests have confirmed a tear in the biceps femoris of his left leg, an injury that could keep him out for around a month.
In practical terms, Hansi Flick will be without his starting full-backs for the Champions League round of 16 tie against Newcastle, as well as for the LaLiga fixtures against Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano. At best, Koundé could return after the international break, which begins with the Atlético Madrid v Barcelona league clash. Balde, meanwhile, is being considered for a potential Champions League quarter-final, should the team progress.
These two new injuries, on top of Frenkie de Jong’s hamstring problem, have left the German coach deeply concerned. He publicly called on the medical and fitness staff to raise their standards and find solutions, stating that he did not consider it normal to have three players sidelined in just over a week. Robert Lewandowski was also unavailable during this period, although his absence was due to an accidental eye injury.
Looking ahead, players such as Gerard Martín and João Cancelo are set to take on greater responsibility on the flanks. Eric García, who has already delivered an impressive performance at right-back this season, is another option, as is Marc Casadó, who has also featured at full-back at times, with mixed results.
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