will miss almost the entire season | Relief

Alejandro Balde practically says goodbye to the season. According to Marca, the player will be out for four months due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the first half of a Cup match in San Mamés. However, as Relevo found out, everything indicates that he will have to undergo surgery, although the final decision It will be accepted in the next few hours. If he has surgery, he will have it done in Finland with Dr. Limpanen.

Balde, who had regained his good playing tone in recent matches, noticed the puncture and quickly threw himself to the ground in pain. The change was immediate, and from the first moment it was clear from his suffering face that the injury could have serious consequences.

. The youngster, who lost his starting position to Cancelo at left-back a few weeks ago, returned to the eleven, scoring his first goal of the season against Unionistas in a game that caused excitement. Balde’s injury may also affect his participation in the European Championships in Germany, given the downtime.

Javi’s failures accumulate physically. In defence, Christensen was replaced with Achilles discomfort, which has been going on for some time, while Araujo threatened to leave the game with a hard blow to his knee. “He had been experiencing discomfort for several weeks,” the player himself confirmed. With Inigo Martinez injured after a relapse and Cancelo returning from injury, Xavi only has Kounde at full capacity.

It is logical to assume that Xavi will again place Joao Cancelo at left-back, as he did in the games against Porto, Atlético Madrid and Girona and keeping Jules Kounde at full-back. The Portuguese was high in this profile because he adds depth and a greater dose of creativity, which the team appreciates while having a bit of magic in the final third. As a result of this move, Kounde will remain as the team’s defender except in those specific games in which Xavi decides to place Ronald Araujo there.

Quality minutes that add up Pau Kubarsi and Hector Fort

They assume that Xavi will give them more minutes, both out of necessity and out of merit, especially considering that before the game with Naples, and without the Cup, the schedule is more than accessible: Villarreal, Osasuna and Granada at home, as well as matches against Alaves and Celta Vigo. During this period, before taking to the Naples pitch, Xavi could give the young players the opportunity to take care of the legs of his battered defense.