Barcelona received a severe blow after facing Atletico Madrid, when it was confirmed that the main full-backs Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde, suffered an injury to the left hamstring, which will deprive coach Hans Flick of their services for more than a month.

Although Barcelona bid farewell to the tournament, they came out with a moral victory after winning 3-0, as both Raphinha and Flick expressed their conviction after the match that performing in this way will lead the team to positive things in the future, referring to the fighting spirit and the image the team showed despite the difficulty of compensating for the first-leg loss at the Metropolitano stadium.

According to what was reported by the newspaper 'Sport', the injury affected both full-backs in the same area, which is the biceps femoris muscle in the left leg, and Kounde had left the field at the beginning of the match after feeling muscular discomfort, while Balde came in as a substitute for him, before he too had to leave in the second half affected by a muscular injury that seemed serious.

The report indicated that, pending confirmation of the final medical examinations, Balde is expected to be absent for between five and six weeks, which means he will not be available until mid-April, shortly after the international break, especially since he previously suffered injuries in the same area.

As for Kounde, he is expected to be absent for no less than a month, with difficulty catching up with the matches preceding the break, and according to the newspaper, the players will miss the Newcastle match in the Champions League, in addition to the matches against Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano, and Sevilla, while Balde's absence may extend to include additional matches after the break, including Atletico Madrid and Espanyol.

The technical staff awaits the final medical report to determine the absence duration accurately, after conducting initial assessments following the match, at a time when Barcelona enters a crucial phase of the season on both the local and European levels.