by Barcelona triumphed over Leganes on Saturday, but the evening was far from perfect for the Catalans. Despite extending their lead over Real Madrid to seven points, the team faced a significant issue — Alejandro Balde’s injury.
The wing-back was forced to leave the pitch in the first half due to muscle discomfort and is likely to miss the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund. According to Sport, there are fears he might not recover in time for the Copa del Rey final against Real, scheduled for April 26.
If he is absent, the responsibility for the left flank of the defense will fall on Gerard Martin. The defender has played 31 matches since his full promotion to the first team and has already earned the trust of coach Hans-Dieter Flick, signing a new contract in January. He is now likely to feature in upcoming clashes — against Borussia, Real, as well as in La Liga matches against Celta and Mallorca.
The incident occurred in the 40th minute of the match against Leganes — Balde felt pain and requested a substitution. Replays did not show any knee or ankle injuries, indicating a possible muscle strain. The final diagnosis will be known after medical evaluation.
In addition to Balde, Barcelona’s injury list already includes Marc-André ter Stegen, Bernal, Casado, and Olmo.
