FC Barcelona are going to face Villarreal in their next La Liga match. This match is going to be particularly difficult for Xavi as he would not be able to direct proceedings from the sideline and also does not have the services of some of his trusted players.
Ronald Araujo is out because he picked up an injury in training last week, Inigo Martinez has only just started training with the group. Similarly, Pedri is also injured, while Raphinha is serving the second game of his two-match ban that he got for his actions in the opening match of La Liga.
Conflicting reports about Balde’s fitness
In such conditions, when a number of Barcelona starters are already out of action, the news came that the left-back Alejandro Balde has also suffered an injury and his availability is doubtful against Villarreal. It was reported that Balde has suffered from an ankle injury during training on Friday.
However, this piece of news is only partially true. Javi Miguel now reports that while Balde did suffer from discomfort in the training, this is not serious enough to keep him out of the match against Villarreal. Thus, Balde will start the third La Liga match for Barcelona.
An integral part of the Barcelona squad
Alejandro Balde has grown to become one of the fixed starters for Xavi in the last year, despite still only being 19 years old. Coming from La Masia, Balde was able to bench the veteran Jordi Alba for the entirety of the last season, and Alba eventually departed the club in the summer as it became clear that Balde is now the starting left-back at Barcelona.
Thus, his absence could have been a big blow for Barcelona, against a particularly strong side in Villarreal. Still, the Catalans have taken the necessary precautions for an event in which Balde would not be able to play in this match by registering Marcos Alonso.
