Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, who suffered a hamstring injury during Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final defeat against Athletic Bilbao will need surgery, the club confirmed on Saturday. The 20-year-old has damaged the tendon in his right hamstring, Barca's medical team revealed.
Spaniard Balde was forced off the game after 22 minutes, long before Barcelona was ousted 4-2 by the Basque side in extra time.
"Tests show that first team player Alejandro Balde has an injury to the tendon in his right hamstring," Barcelona said in a statement. "He will undergo a surgical procedure at the hands of Dr. Lasse Lempainen, under the supervision of the club's medical staff, in Turku, Finland, it added.
Tests show that first team player Alejandro Balde has an injury to the tendon in his right hamstring. In the coming days he will undergo a surgical procedure at the hands of Dr. Lasse Lempainen, under the supervision of the Club's medical staff, in Turku, Finland. Once the… pic.twitter.com/GBffnBrleB
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 27, 2024
In another concern for the Catalan side, senior right-back Sergi Roberto also suffered an injury setback. "First team player Sergi Roberto has a problem in his left Achilles tendon. The player is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return," the club said on X (formerly Twitter).
"Balde, 20, has made 18 league appearances for Barcelona this season. The club sit third in the table, eight points behind leaders Girona.Barcelona host 14th-placed Villareal on Saturday.
