Barcelona have revealed that Alejandro Balde is facing a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
The 21-year-old had to be replaced in the latter stages of the first half against Leganes on Saturday evening, with Gerard Martin entering as his replacement in what proved to be a 1-0 success for the La Liga leaders.
Barcelona have now confirmed the problem, with Balde picking up a hamstring issue; the Catalan outfit have not provided a timeframe in terms of his recovery, but the expectation is that he will be missing for the rest of the month.
"Tests carried out on Sunday morning on the first team player Alejandro Balde confirm that he has a distal injury to his left hamstring. His return to action with the first team will depend on his recovery," read a statement from Barcelona.
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Balde 'expected' to miss at least the next three weeks
Various reports in Spain have hinted at a three-week absence, which would crucially rule him out of the final of the Copa del Rey, which takes place against Real Madrid on April 26.
Balde is also set to miss the second leg of the team's Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund next week, in addition to La Liga matches with Celta Vigo and Mallorca.
Providing that his recovery goes as expected, the defender could be available at the start of May, but he may also miss the La Liga game against Real Valladolid, in addition to the first leg of a Champions League semi-final, should Hansi Flick's side make it.
Balde has been in impressive form for Barcelona during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring once and providing 10 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions, and his absence will be a major blow for the La Liga leaders.
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Who will replace Balde in the starting side?
Martin is the back-up left-back at Barcelona, and he has made 31 appearances for the club during the 2024-25 campaign, so it could be a straight swap in the full-back area.
Flick could also potentially use Ronald Araujo as a left-back, while Eric Garcia has previously played in that position, but he will not want to upset the balance in his side at such a key stage of the campaign.
As a result, it is expected to be a very important period in Martin's career, as he prepares to start some crucial matches.
Matt Law
