Barcelona receive crushing injury news ahead of key fixtures

Barcelona and Alejandro Balde have received disappointing news on his hamstring injury, which he suffered against Leganes. The 21-year-old has been in fine form this season after struggling with injury last year.

Balde went down injured after tweaking his hamstring in the first half at Butarque, with Gerard Martin coming on for him at the time. The initial diagnosis was that he would be ruled out for two to three weeks, but there was some hope that Balde could return to action in time for their clash with Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday the 26th of April in Seville.

However after further tests were carried out on Monday, MD said the prognosis was not as positive as had been hoped. Balde’s injury will keep him out for closer to three weeks rather than two, which would definitively rule him out of the Copa final. Balde was already ruled out of their Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, as well as Liga games against RCD Mallorca, Celta Vigo, but is now also ruled out against Real Valladolid the following week.

Increasingly it looks as if Balde will not make a hypothetical semi-final against Inter or Bayern Munich in the Champions League too, which will take place on the 29th or 30th of April. The aim now is to be back for a theoretical second leg on the 6th of 7th of May, and the Liga Clasico against Real Madrid on the 11th of May at Montjuic.