Barcelona will not rush defender’s recovery, could feature in final pre-season games

In recent years, Barcelona spent many an hour debating and discussing how the legendary Jordi Alba could be replaced at left-back in the long run. Little did they know that the answer sat in their own backyard.

Xavi Hernandez included the young Alejandro Balde in the first team dynamics with the hope of honing the youngster’s skills. With Marcos Alonso and Alba providing experienced options at left-back, Balde’s minutes were expected to be limited.

But very early into the season, it became increasingly clear that the La Masia star was the chosen one. He quickly established himself as the team’s regular left-back and became a mainstay under Xavi Hernandez.

Balde’s season, however, did not end on a high. The youngster fell prey to a ruthless tackle by Amath Ndiaye on the penultimate matchday, rupturing the ligament of his right ankle in the process. Preliminary exams suggested a recovery period of close to two months.

The youngster’s recovery is on track and he has been called up by Xavi Hernandez to make the trip to the USA. According to reports from SPORT, there is neither the need nor an intention to hurry his recovery from Barcelona.

The Catalans prioritise his return to complete fitness and he will continue working largely individually on the upcoming tour. If all goes well, he could see some minutes in the final friendly games but the goal is for him to be ready by the beginning of August.

Balde made 33 appearances for the Blaugrana last season, scoring one goal and providing six assists in the process. Further, he averaged 0.7 key passes per game and seven big chances created.

In the meantime, Xavi will look to rotate between Marcos Alonso and the youngster Alex Valle at left-back in preseason. While the former will be the first choice, the academy ace will look to impress in his chances.