Barcelona suffered a new setback as it was confirmed that their young defender Alejandro Balde will be absent for several weeks due to an injury sustained during team training, increasing the Catalan club’s difficulties amid a series of absences this season.

Barcelona announced on its official website that left-back Alejandro Balde suffered an injury to his left hamstring during training, noting that his next participation will depend on the development of his condition. The 21-year-old player started in the first three La Liga matches this season before getting injured.

Spanish network “COPE” revealed that Balde’s absence could extend to three weeks, meaning he will miss several important matches for the club. This comes at a sensitive time with the start of the season and a congested match schedule.

Balde is expected to miss Barcelona’s matches against Valencia after the international break, then Getafe in La Liga, in addition to the first Champions League group stage match against Newcastle United, increasing the challenges facing coach Hans Flick.

Balde joins a list of notable absentees including Gavi, who is suffering from a knee injury, and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who is still recovering from back surgery. These absences force the coaching staff to look for alternative solutions to maintain team stability.

Barcelona currently occupies fourth place in the La Liga standings with 7 points, after winning the first two rounds and drawing the third against Rayo Vallecano, hoping to regain strong results despite the consecutive injuries.