Barcelona left back Alejandro Balde suffered a potentially serious hamstring injury during Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Athletic Club. The 20-year-old felt discomfort in his leg and was forced to leave the pitch in the first half. Balde, who has been in excellent form for Barca this season, may be facing a significant amount of time on the sidelines.

Barcelona already had limited options at left back, with Marcos Alonso and Joao Cancelo currently injured. Balde's injury leaves the club even more short-handed in that position. Hector Fort, a 17-year-old from the club's academy, may be given an opportunity to step up in Balde's absence.

Despite the setback, Barcelona managed to take a 2-1 halftime lead in the match following goals from Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal. However, they ultimately lost 4-2 after extra time.

The injury to Balde adds to the growing list of Barcelona players currently dealing with fitness issues. Centre-back Ronald Araujo has been playing through a knee problem, while Andreas Christensen also picked up a calf issue in the same match.

With the team now out of the Copa del Rey, their focus turns to the remaining competitions: La Liga and the Champions League. Barcelona will need to navigate these competitions with a squad that is depleted due to injuries.