Barcelona breath sigh of relief following player’s injury problem against Valencia
Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde has provided an update after being forced off in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Valencia.
The Catalan giants fought back from a goal down to claim all three points in their first match under former Germany boss Hansi Flick.
Roberto Lewandowski, who previously played under Flick at Bayern Munich, cancelled out Hugo Duro‘s opener on the stroke of half time, before dispatching a penalty in the 49th minute to score what proved to be the winning goal.
While Barcelona celebrated an opening-day win, there was some concern over Balde’s injury status after the full-back was forced off in the second period.
Balde was treated by Barcelona’s medical staff just after the hour mark before he was replaced by debutant Gerard Martin.
© Imago
Balde offers positive injury update
The 20-year-old was making his first appearance since missing the second half of the 2023-24 season through injury.
Balde’s withdrawal at Mestalla led to fears that Balde could face another spell on the sidelines, but the left-back has since taken to social media to alleviate those concerns.
The youngster wrote on Instagram: “It was just a blow, it’s all good.”
Barcelona will be relieved that Balde has seemingly avoided a major injury, especially as they are already having to cope with several absentees.
Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo and Ansu Fati were all absent for Saturday’s La Liga win, while Dani Olmo is still building up his fitness following his recent move from RB Leipzig.
Balde confirms on his Instagram that he is fine. ✅ pic.twitter.com/SOREGk7hJP
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) August 17, 2024
How important will Balde be this season?
After spending a lengthy spell on the sidelines last season, Balde will be targeting a campaign free from any serious injuries.
Balde could be an important player for Barcelona this season, with the club currently light on options on the left side of defence.
Barcelona saw Joao Cancelo and Marcos Alonso depart over the summer, leaving Flick with the young trio of Martin, Alex Valles and Hector Fort as his potential alternative options to Flick.
While Balde may also be in the early stages of his career, the 20-year-old already has considerable experience under his belt having made 80 competitive appearances for the Barcelona first team.
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