Barcelona are licking their wounds after being eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Los Leones. Their encounter with a physical Athletic Club side has taken its toll on Xavi Hernandez’s side though.
Alejandro Balde was the first casualty, coming off in the first half, with what looked like a hamstring tear. Early diagnoses say he could be out for four to six weeks, which would rule him out until March. Andreas Christensen was the next man off, being replaced by Pau Cubarsi in the second half, before placing an ice pack on the back of his calf. The Danish defender has been struggling with chronic pain all year.
Hearts were again in Blaugrana mouths, when Ronald Araujo stayed down after a challenge clutching his knee. The magic spray appeared to do its work, but he was asked about the heavy strapping on it after the match.
“My knee is bothering me. I’ve had that discomfort for a couple of weeks but I always try to be there and help, it’s no use making excuses,” he told Marca.
Xavi Hernandez will be left with a choice over how much to use in the coming weeks, although he does not have many senior defenders left. Joao Cancelo should in theory be fit soon, but currently Jules Kounde, perhaps Christensen and Araujo are the only senior defenders remaining. In an ideal world, Xavi would not risk Araujo ahead of their Champions League clash, but he has limited options available to him.
