Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde ruled out for 5–6 weeks with hamstring injuries at Barcelona

Barcelona have been dealt a big defensive setback after Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde both picked up hamstring injuries in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.

Kounde felt discomfort in his left hamstring early on and was forced off, with Balde coming in as his replacement. Around the 70th minute, however, Balde also had to leave the pitch in tears after suffering the same biceps femoris injury in his left leg.

Both full-backs now face spells on the sidelines, with medical tests expected to confirm the final prognosis. Diario Sport reports that Balde is likely to miss 5–6 weeks, ruling him out until mid-April, including the international break and several key fixtures for Barcelona.

Kounde is set to be out for at least four weeks, which means he will not be available for the Champions League tie against Newcastle, as well as La Liga matches against Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla.

The injuries come on the back of a proud 3–0 second-leg win for Barcelona, which still was not enough to overturn the aggregate deficit against Atletico.
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