Barcelona homegrown star not guaranteed of minutes amid injury crisis as future remains uncertain

Barcelona homegrown star not guaranteed of minutes amid injury crisis as future remains uncertain According to MARCA , Alejandro Balde is not guaranteed an extended run in the Barcelona first team despite Xavi Espart’s injury creating a vacancy in defence. Hansi Flick is considering several options ahead of Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Alaves, including alternative defensive combinations and promotions from La Masia . Balde is an obvious candidate to feature, but the German coach’s willingness to experiment means the left-back’s opportunities remain uncertain. Balde emerges as an option after Espart’s injury Espart suffered an injury to his right ankle during El Clasico and is expected to miss approximately seven weeks. The young defender had become a regular under Flick, featuring on both sides of the back four as Barcelona dealt with a series of defensive injuries. Balde initially appeared to be the natural replacement. Flick brought the left-back on in the 30th minute against Real Madrid after Espart requested to be substituted because of his injury. Balde completed the match without looking out of place, offering the coach a familiar option at the back. His involvement in El Clasico represented a notable increase in playing time after a limited start to the season. No guarantee of chances despite injuries in the squad. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Before facing Real Madrid, he had accumulated only 28 minutes across two appearances, against Racing Santander in La Liga and PSG in the Champions League Kounde’s fitness and Cancelo’s position could affect Balde Barcelona’s defensive selection for the Alaves fixture will depend partly on Jules Kounde’s recovery from an ankle sprain sustained against Real Betis. If the Frenchman is available, Flick could deploy him at right-back and use Joao Cancelo on the opposite flank, potentially leaving Balde out of the starting XI. Andreas Christensen could receive medical clearance soon, although he is not expected to start immediately. In subsequent fixtures, Flick could use the former Chelsea defender at centre-back and move Gerard Martin to left-back. These alternatives underline the uncertainty surrounding Balde’s position. Flick considers La Masia alternatives Flick made clear after El Clasico that he could turn to Barcelona’s academy to address the defensive shortage. One possibility is Brian Farinas at right-back, allowing Cancelo to remain on the left. Flick has not counted on Balde much this season. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Flick also has several reserve-team defenders to consider. Jordi Pesquer is an option on the left, while Landry Farre and Guillem Víctor can operate on the right. The coach knows all three from their involvement in first-team training sessions, and Pesquer has already been called into the squad for the match against Elche. These alternatives underline the uncertainty surrounding Balde’s position. His opportunities will depend not only on the availability of senior defenders but also on Flick’s willingness to trust Barcelona’s younger players. The Blaugrana invited Balde to consider leaving during the summer and are expected to revisit the possibility in January . Even with injuries limiting the available defensive options, the left-back does not appear to have a guaranteed place in Flick’s plans, and a departure remains a possibility.