The Barcelona duo of Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde are expected to miss next week’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash against Newcastle United.
Recall that Kounde and Balde both had to leave the field during the 4-1 win over Atleti at the Camp Nou, leaving Flick with a major headache.
Kounde was forced off after just 10 minutes of the match against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey due to a hamstring injury, and reports in Spain have claimed that the France international will be sidelined until at least the end of March.
Balde was Kounde’s replacement in the cup fixture, but the Spain international was unable to complete the match, suffering a hamstring injury in the second period.
According to SPORT, Balde’s issue is more serious than the one sustained by Kounde, and the Spaniard is now facing five to six weeks on the sidelines.
The La Liga giants come to Tyneside on Tuesday, March 10 for the first leg of the last 16 encounter with Eddie Howe’s side, before the return leg in Spain on March 18.
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