Barcelona starlet has recovered fully from injury, 100% ready for pre-season

In a positive update, Barcelona starlet Alejandro Balde has recovered fully from his injury and is 100% ready to start the pre-season with the rest of the squad, reports Mundo Deportivo.

The 19-year-old defender picked up a serious ankle injury in the penultimate matchweek of the 2022/23 season against RCD Mallorca.

Balde was on the receiving end of a horrific tackle by an opponent which led to the injury, following which it was reported that he would be out for six to seven weeks.

Now that the said duration has passed, it appears that Balde is fully recovered and ready to start the pre-season at full speed.

The 19-year-old La Masia graduate cut short his vacation to return to training by himself at the club’s Ciutat Esportiva complex over the last week. And the extra sessions seem to have helped the Spanish ace complete his recovery and make a full return ahead of pre-season.

Balde was among a host of Barcelona players to return to the club today for pre-season and was put through medical and fitness tests before the actual training started.

The 19-year-old enjoyed a brilliant breakthrough campaign in 2022/23 after making a big impression during the pre-season last summer. Balde made 44 appearances in all competitions during the season, scoring one goal and seven assists.

Balde had overtaken the left-back spot from Jordi Alba last season and will go into the new campaign as the first choice in the position.

The youngster is also making headway on the international football scene, although his injury prevented him from being part of the Spanish national team that won the UEFA Nations League.

Balde’s return from injury is good news ahead of the pre-season as Barcelona face some challenging fixtures against the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus, Arsenal, and AC Milan before the season starts.