Barcelona confirm defender Balde sidelined with hamstring injury

Barcelona managed to seal a narrow but vital victory at Leganes to extend their lead at the top of the Liga standings to seven points. However, they left the Municipal de Butarque with a piece of bad news as Alejandro Balde was forced off with an injury.

"Balde is not so good... I will say nothing and we will wait until tomorrow," head coach Hansi Flick told reporters after the game. Medical scans carried out on Sunday morning confirmed the blow for the Catalan giants.

"Tests carried out on Sunday morning on the first team player Alejandro Balde confirm that he has a distal injury to his left hamstring. His return to action with the first team will depend on his recovery," reads a statement from Barcelona.

As a result, Balde will be ruled out for the second leg for Barca's Champions League quarter-final tie against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, and the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid on April 26. The 'Blaugrana' visit the Signal Iduna Park with a 4-0 advantage gained in the first leg.