Significant Absences at Barcelona: Balde and Koundé, Out Due to Injury
FC Barcelona faces a complicated period after the injuries of two of its defensive pillars: Alejandro Balde and Jules Koundé. Both players suffered hamstring problems during the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atlético de Madrid.
Medical tests confirmed that Balde suffers from an injury to the distal femoral biceps of the left leg, which will keep him away from the playing fields for approximately four weeks. For his part, Koundé suffered an injury to the middle third of the femoral biceps of the left leg, and his time off is estimated between four and five weeks.
These losses represent a hard blow for the team, which will have to face several important commitments without two of its key defenders.
Both Balde and Koundé will miss at least five official matches, including crucial LaLiga encounters against Athletic Club, Sevilla FC, and Rayo Vallecano. Furthermore, they will not be available for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against Newcastle United.
The situation worsens when considering that Balde and Koundé join the list of injured players, where midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Gavi are already, as well as defender Andreas Christensen.
On the positive side, striker Robert Lewandowski, who missed the Cup match due to an orbital fracture suffered against Villarreal, could return to action in the next league match at San Mamés, depending on his recovery.
