Barcelona suffer massive blow as key player is ruled out of Champions League semifinal - Reports

Barcelona have suffered a major blow ahead of the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan. As reported by Spanish outlet AS via Barca Universal, bombarding left-back Alejandro Balde has been officially ruled out of the game to be held on May 6.

Balde has been out of action with a hamstring injury since April having missed the last eight games. The 21-year-old's recovery has not gone according to plan and he now looks set to miss the trip to Inter Milan.

The Spain international was expected to return to the side for Barca's away game against Real Valladolid this weekend. However, he failed to make the matchday squad and any hopes of his involvement against Inter Milan have now ended.

Barcelona have found a more than capable deputy for Balde in Gerard Martin, who has been almost flawless whenever he has been called upon this season. However, Hansi Flick will certainly miss Balde's pace and overlapping runs from down the left flank in a big game against Inter Milan.

Balde has been a pivotal player for Barca since making his senior debut in 2021 for the Blaugrana. He has made 43 appearances across competitions this season, scoring once and producing 10 assists.

Barcelona and Inter Milan produced a remarkable game for the neutrals when they clashed in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final earlier this week. Lamine Yamal stole the show but the game ended in a 3-3 scoreline.

---

Rio Ferdinand claims Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal is better than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at his age

Pundit Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal is ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at his age. The former Manchester United defender waxed lyrical about the 17-year-old following his stellar showing in Barca's 3-3 draw against Inter Milan.

Ferdinand labeled Yamal as an 'artist' and insisted that he has never witnessed a better player than Yamal at his age. The former England defender said, as quoted by TNT Sports:

"It was one of the best 45 minutes I've seen - definitely from a young player - but almost from any player I've seen live. It's just ridiculous what he's done. His ability to take people on. I think the thing that really caught my eye about him, other than the moments of brilliance, is that every part of his left foot was used in that game. He's an artist. At this age, he's ahead of Cristiano, he's ahead of Messi. His stats alone - he's had 100 appearances at 17! These guys were nowhere near that and he's dominating games, he's defining games."

Ferdinand added:

"The trophies that he's won, and he's been integral to winning those trophies for both club and country. He's on the cusp of maybe doing a treble for Barcelona and being one of the best players. At 17, we have not seen this. His confidence in games is there for all to see. What was great the other day was the press conference; he was so confident in the press conference that himself and Barcelona are in an era to dominate."

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely regarded as two of the greatest players of all time. They dominated world football for almost two decades and won 13 Ballon d'Ors between them which is a testament to their incredible longevity.

Yamal, on the other hand, is still in the early stage of his development but has already made 101 appearances for Barcelona. He has scored 22 goals and provided 33 assists in the process and also played a key role in helping Spain win the 2024 Euros.