BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 23: A general view of a FC Barcelona flag inside the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3 match between FC Barcelona and FC Bayern Munchen at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on October 23, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)
A member of the defensive ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona is set to be afforded a potentially considerable uptick in playing time over the weeks ahead. This comes owing to the latest personnel setback in Hansi Flick’s squad.
Barcelona were of course back in action on Sunday evening, welcoming arch rivals Real Madrid to Catalunya’s capital for the season’s first edition of El Clásico.
En route to an eventual 2-1 defeat, the Blaugrana saw Xavi Espart forced off through injury during the first-half. Following a round of medical tests carried out on Monday morning, the 19-year-old was in turn ruled out for the bulk of the next two months.
MEDICAL REPORT
Tests carried out have confirmed that Xavi Espart is suffering from an injury to the syndesmosis joint in his right ankle due to a collision with an opposing player in the game against Real Madrid.
The player will be out for around seven weeks. pic.twitter.com/sd17xaw1Jd
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 26, 2026
This means that, at the back, Barcelona are now without all of Espart, Andreas Christensen, Eric García and Jules Koundé.
And this situation, all told, points towards an imminent increase in minutes on the pitch for one member of Hansi Flick’s squad: Alejandro Balde.
With João Cancelo likely to spend time filling in at right-back over the coming weeks, Balde – handed just his third appearance of the season on Sunday – is set to be afforded a golden opportunity to reestablish himself in the plans of boss Flick and his staff at left-back.
Conor Laird – GSFN