Alejandro Balde out for a month with left thigh injury as Barcelona short at full-back | OneFootball

Alejandro Balde will be sidelined for about a month after suffering a left thigh injury in Barcelona's 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final second-leg defeat to Atlético, leaving the squad thin at full-back.

The club said in a statement that the 22-year-old has a distal biceps femoris injury in his left thigh and that he should be out for about four weeks.

On Tuesday at Camp Nou, Jules Koundé went off in the 13th minute with a left hamstring problem. The right-back, who is expected to be out for about a month, was replaced by Balde, with Joao Cancelo moving across to the right.

Balde then departed in the 71st minute and headed straight to the dressing room, with Ronald Araujo coming on. The Spain international has seven caps.

Barcelona now have only two specialist full-backs available. Like Koundé, Balde will miss the Champions League round of 16 against Newcastle on 10 and 18 March.

Source: L'Équipe