Beyond just the exit from the Copa Del Ray, Barcelona are left psychologically defeated. The 4-2 defeat to Athletic Club at the San Mames was another unfortunate reality check that the Catalans recently received. Beyond just the defeat, however, Barcelona have also lost something more.
Now that the Copa Del Ray is behind them, Barça are expected to turn their focus back towards La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, it seems that even those two competitions will now see Barcelona enter without their full ability and quality.
As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan giants potentially see three of their key players injured after the recent Athletic Club game. All three of them also happen to be defenders, and crucial ones for Xavi as well. They are expected to soon undergo medical examinations as well to assess the extent of their injuries.
The first of those three is Alejandro Balde, Barça’s primary left-back and an addition from the academy. In the 20th minute of the game against Athletic Club, Balde was already on the group grasping his hamstring. While he tried to return to play, he was then tackled again by an opposing player during the game.
It now seems that due to this possible hamstring injury, Balde could miss the next few games for Barcelona. He seemed to be in visible discomfort and was limping even as he came off the field.
Another casualty was Danish defender Andreas Christensen. Having just returned from injury, he was slotted right back into the starting eleven to take on Athletic Club. However, he also had to be taken off due to a muscular issue with his calves during the game.
He was then replaced by Pau Cubarsi, a scenario that is quite familiar to Barcelona. The youngster did his best to help out the team, and managed to do so quite well during his time on the field alongside his fellow youngsters.
The final potential casualty for Barcelona happens to be Ronald Araujo. In the case of the Uruguayan, it was confirmed by him after the game that he suffered from knee discomfort. He will also be having himself medically examined to determine how severe his possible injury is.
