Good news! Alejandro Balde receives medical clearance and will be able to play in Barça-PSG match

FC Barcelona confirmed the expected return of Alejandro Balde one day before the Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain. The 21-year-old defender suffered an injury to his left femoral biceps on September 3 and the club, taking into account his recent history of muscle problems, preferred to give him a month of rest.

In principle, it was expected that Álex would be out for three weeks. Although the '3' had been training with the squad at the Ciutat Esportiva for several days, Hansi Flick kept him out of the League match against Real Sociedad (2-1).

Balde will be on the bench for a Barça team with four absentees against PSG

Alejandro Balde training at the Ciutat Esportiva.

Now, against PSG, the left-back will be in the squad and could play some minutes in the second half. Gerard Martín, a starter in the last four matches, should remain in the starting XI on the left side, while Eric García and Ronald Araujo can also lend a hand in emergencies.

In that sense, Flick is clear about managing minutes at Barça to avoid more injuries, avoiding taking risks with a Balde still without competitive rhythm. For matchday 2 of the Champions League, Barça arrives with four absentees due to injury, with Marc-André ter Stegen and Gavi being the most prolonged absences.

The goalkeeper will be out until approximately December, while the midfielder has four or five months in the infirmary, after undergoing knee surgery. Fermín López and Raphinha, on the other hand, will reappear after the October break. With luck, both will be available for matchday 9 of La Liga against Girona. Joan García, en cambio, estará al margen hasta finales de octubre.

Hansi Flick recovers a key piece for his defensive scheme

With the return of Alejandro Balde, Hansi Flick recovers his starting left-back. Before relapsing on his problems in the left thigh, the '3' was a starter in the first three matchdays of LaLiga, adding 222 minutes of action. The previous year, Álex contributed 1 goal and 10 assists in 47 appearances, beyond missing almost a month due to an injury in the same leg.

"With this calendar it is part of our job. We have to manage the injuries. It is not good for the players either. We all love to have all the players", explained Flick. Since returning to work in the pre-season, nine players from the Barça squad have suffered muscle problems.

Regarding the absences in both teams for matchday 2 of the Champions League, he added: "There are great players who will not be able to be there. In each team we have very good quality and tomorrow a great match will be seen".

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