FC Barcelona are set to take on AC Milan in Baltimore tomorrow in what will be their final pre-season game of the US tour. Having already beaten Manchester City and Real Madrid, the Spanish club will be confident when they take on the Italian giants.
Hansi Flick’s team, despite being full of youth players has performed well in pre-season. Many youngsters like Pau Victor, Pablo Torre, Alex Valle, Marc Bernal, and Marc Casado have caught the eye with their performances.
Furthermore, Jules Kounde is expected to be back for the AC Milan clash and could feature in some capacity, although it would be a surprise to see him start the game. However, As per SPORT, two players who are unlikely to feature in the game against the Rossoneri are Pablo Torre and Alejandro Balde.
The report reveals that the duo did not train at the same pace as their teammates ahead of the game and were instead spotted doing low-intensity, personal work with trainers on the corner of the field.
It must be remembered that Balde has just returned from an injury that has kept him out for a good chunk of five months whilst the report adds that Torre is suffering from a bout of gastroenteritis and is not 100% fit.
With this just being a pre-season friendly, Hansi Flick will not want to take risks with any of his players. Torre and Balde might be rested as a precaution which would give them enough time to recover in time for the Joan Gamper game against AS Monaco.
Barcelona have had a torrid time with injuries to key players in recent seasons. The last thing that the Catalan club will want is for someone like Balde to suffer a relapse of his previous injury and it’s good that they are being precatious.
The absence of the duo could give other players a chance to shine in their position. Flick could give Valle his preferred left-back role or play Gerard Martin from the start. Someone like Noah Darvich could also be given a chance in the #10 role, replacing Pablo Torre.
