Balde Faces Another Disappointment at Barcelona

Alejandro Balde has returned to Barcelona's squad for the clash against Athletic Bilbao after being omitted from the match against Elche. However, he did not receive any minutes during the encounter, continuing his absence from Hans Flick's plans at left-back.

Espart played as a starter on the left side, before João Cancelo came on as a substitute, while Balde stayed on the bench throughout the match, indicating that he has become Flick's third choice in this position at the moment.

Hansi Flick had indicated before the start of La Liga that he expects full commitment from Alejandro Balde to the project, and he opened the door for the player's departure if he is not committed to the competition. However, Balde's return to the squad for the match against Athletic Bilbao has helped to calm the situation somewhat.

According to "Mundo Deportivo," Balde appeared on the bench with a serious expression during the first half, before participating in warm-ups in the second half alongside Christensen, Brian Farinas, and Hamza Abdel Karim.

After Fermín's goal secured Barcelona's win, Baldé did not celebrate the goal visibly. Then, fitness coach Pepi Conde approached him to shake hands and try to lift his spirits. Baldé then returned to the bench, where he watched Flick bring on Cancelo as the final substitution of the match.

Balde is currently the only player from Barcelona's first team who has not received any minutes since the start of La Liga, but he trained normally today, Friday, and will be available for Flick to face Rayo Vallecano on Monday.