Official: Barcelona confirm hamstring injury to first team regular, likely to miss three weeks | OneFootball

Barcelona have suffered a massive blow at a crucial period in the season, as the club has officially confirmed that 21-year-old left-back Alejandro Balde has picked up a hamstring injury.

Unfortunately, the timing of the injury could not be any worse for the team from Catalonia, especially with their Copa del Rey final clash against Real Madrid fast approaching.

According to an official statement from Barcelona, Balde sustained a distal injury to the femoral biceps in his left leg.

“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 the statement.

Likely to miss three weeks

While the club did not comment on the exact timeline of the defender’s recovery, SPORT reports that the estimated time on the sidelines will be around three weeks.

This means that the first team regular is almost certain to miss the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund, two crucial La Liga matches against Celta Vigo and Mallorca, and more importantly, the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid on 26 April.

It must be noted that Balde’s speed, overlapping runs and his defensive solidity have made him a key part of Hansi Flick’s system this season.

Now, his absence is certain to force the manager to look for options to reinforce his backline, possibly depending on youngster Gerard Martin.

While the 23-year-old has shown improvement in recent weeks, he lacks the big-game experience required at this level and considering the line of matches, coupled with the titles that are on the line, Barcelona have suffered a massive blow.