21-year-old Barcelona defender ‘practically ruled out’ for the first leg against Inter Milan | OneFootball

Following a morale-boosting 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, FC Barcelona are now set to play another crucial game as they face Inter Milan in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday.

As was the case for the cup final, there are still some important Blaugrana players whose fitness issues are raising doubts about their participation in this game.

The most notable of these players is Alejandro Balde, who has been on the sidelines since the league match against Leganes, in which he suffered a hamstring injury in the left leg. However, a recent report suggested that the player is keen to play against Inter in the first leg, but his participation is still being pondered upon by the Catalans.

Now, another report from Diario AS claims that the defender is practically ruled out for this game, as he was unable to participate in the training session held today on Monday.

However, his presence in the squad for this game is still not completely ruled out, as Alejandro Balde himself wants to be there, even if he does not start, to help the team off the bench if necessary.

Gerard Martin has been starting for Barcelona in Balde’s absence. [Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images]

Hansi Flick had put a break on the Spaniard’s desire to return for this game as he does not want to take any risks, especially as the three-week stipulated time for his recovery would still not have passed when the game is set to be played. Furthermore, the defender has a history of problems with hamstrings, an area which is generally very prone to relapses.

As things stand, the Barcelona coach is training his team for this crucial game without the fullback, but will have him at 100% fitness for the second leg even if he is not available for the first.

On the other hand, Robert Lewandowski would not be able to play in the first leg and is highly likely to miss the second leg as well. However, he can return in time for the league El Clasico on May 11th.