FC Barcelona not only suffered a 4-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey, but they also lost another player due to injury. Alejandro Balde played only 22 minutes before sustaining a hamstring injury. The player was seen crying on the pitch and knew the injury he suffered was bad.
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Early reports during the game suggested that Balde's injury was going to take him out for 4-6 weeks. It was suggested he would miss the 1st leg of the Napoli game in round 16 of the Champions League. Then, the severity of the injury was known to be worse, and Balde would miss both legs against Napoli. Recent reports have said that Balde is out for the rest of the season if he decides to get surgery.
Balde has decided to get surgery, and Barcelona announced on their website that the injury was to the tendon of his right hamstring but did not mention how long the player will be put on. Barca's statement read, "Tests show that first-team player Alejandro Balde has an injury to the tendon in his right hamstring. In the coming days, he will undergo a surgical procedure at the hands of Dr. Lasse Lempainen, under the supervision of the Club's medical staff, in Turku, Finland. Once the procedure has been carried out, a new statement will be released."
Barca also put out a statement that Sergi Roberto suffered an injury and will not play today's game against Villarreal. Barca's statement read, "First-team player Sergi Roberto has a problem with his left Achilles tendon. The player is unavailable for selection, and his recovery will dictate his return." Roberto could be put out of action for two weeks.
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Balde's injury could leave FC Barcelona no choice but to sign a replacement this January
Rac 1 reports Barcelona is considering signing a player to replace Balde as the club did with Gavi. The medical report should state that the player will be out for a minimum of 4 months. Vitor Roque replaced Gavi as he was registered on FFP space left by Gavi's injury. The club is considering doing the same thing with Balde.
