Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is unhappy with the growing list of injury casualties at the club, with full-backs Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde the latest pair to suffer fitness setbacks.
Barcelona emerged 3-0 winners in the second leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid, but they still suffered elimination after failing to overturn a four-goal deficit from the first leg.
Balde and Kounde started that game on both defensive flanks for Flick’s side, but neither of them made it to the final whistle as they each picked up hamstring injuries.
Both full-backs now join Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who also suffered a hamstring injury last week and is expected to be out until at least April, in the treatment room, and Flick could barely hide his frustrations about the situation.
“We have two more injuries, I am not happy, it’s not good,” the Barcelona coach said, per quotes on ESPN.
“With Frenkie, it’s now three in a week, all the same injuries. This cannot happen. We have to speak about that.
“We have to speak about it with the medical staff and with the fitness coaches to avoid losing three players to injury in a week.”
Barcelona have confirmed that Balde will be out of action for a month, while Kounde is not expected to return before the March international break.
This rules both players out of Barca’s upcoming UEFA Champions League tie against Newcastle United. They will also miss out on La Liga games against Athletic Club, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano.
These latest casualties bring Barcelona’s list of injured players up to six, with Gavi, Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen also on the sidelines.
Gavi is nearing a return to action, while Lewandowski is still out with a fractured eye socket.
In terms of full-back options, Flick is down to just Joao Cancelo and Gerrard Martin on either flank. The German tactician has reportedly called on La Masia right-back Xavi Espart to take part in first team training, while the likes of Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo and Marc Casado are also possible stop-gap options.
