FC Barcelona have confirmed that full back Alejandro Balde has suffered a distal injury to his left hamstring, with no timeline given on his return. Balde was injured towards the end of the first half in Sunday's (IST) 1-0 win away from home at Leganes. After tracking back to stop a counter from the home side, the defender felt a problem and was replaced by Gerard Martin. "Tests carried out on Sunday morning on the first team player Alejandro Balde confirm that he has a distal injury to his left hamstring. His return to action with the first team will depend on his recovery," read the statement by the club.
The recovery timeline for a distal hamstring injury varies widely but generally ranges from a few weeks to several months. A grade 1 strain might heal within days to a couple of weeks, while a grade 3 (complete tear) could take months to heal, potentially requiring surgery. Rehabilitation for distal hamstring reattachments typically takes about 3 months before returning to athletic activities.
This season Balde has been a regular in the side for Hansi Flick, making 42 appearances in all competition, 37 as a starter. He has found the back of the net on one occasion, the 5-2 win over Real Madrid in the final of the Supercopa de Espana, and provided 10 assists from the flank.
The club will be hoping Balde's injury is not of much concern, as the 21-year-old was previously ruled out for 182 days during the 2023-24 season with a tendon rupture.
Barcelona have gotten back to their best under coach Hansi Flick and are currently well poised to claim a historic treble, with a seven-point lead in La Liga over Real Madrid, a date with the Los Blancos in the final of the Copa Del Rey and a 4-0 lead over Borussia Dortmund ahead of the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)