Unexpected solution? Gerard Martín and other alternatives for Flick after Balde's absence

FC Barcelona will have to face the final stretch of April without Alejandro Balde. The 22-year-old defender suffers an injury to his left thigh and will be out of action for around two weeks, although the club has not specified his time off in the medical report issued on Sunday. In that sense, the presence of Gerard Martín, the substitute for the '3' on the left side, becomes vitally important.

The player from Esplugues de Llobregat has noticeably improved his level in the second half of 2024-25 and already has 1 goal and 3 assists in 31 games (1,106 minutes), 11 of them as a starter. With the '35' in the starting XI, Hansi Flick's team has 8 wins, 1 draw (2-2 against Celta) and 2 losses (4-2 against Osasuna, 1-2 against Las Palmas), these last three results during the first round of LaLiga, where the team had 5 losses and a couple of draws.

Last January, Martín renewed until 2028, a vote of confidence that has suited the Azulgrana youth player very well. Now, Gerard faces the most important challenge of the season, having to cover Balde in at least the next three games, the first of them against Borussia Dortmund in Germany. In the Champions League, the defender started against Estrella Roja (2-5) and Brest (3-0). In addition, he had residual minutes against Benfica in the league phase match and the first leg of the round of 16.

How Flick's Barça has fared with Gerard Martín as a starter

1. 🟢Rayo Vallecano 1-2 FC Barcelona. Matchday 3 of LaLiga (played 65 minutes).
2. 🟢Villarreal 1-5 FC Barcelona. Matchday 6 of LaLiga (played all 90 minutes).
3. 🔴Osasuna 4-2 FC Barcelona. Matchday 8 of LaLiga (played 70 minutes and provided an assist).
4. 🟢Estrella Roja 2-5 FC Barcelona. Matchday 4 of the Champions League league phase (played all 90 minutes).
5. 🟡Celta de Vigo 2-2 FC Barcelona. Matchday 14 of LaLiga (played 45 minutes and was booked).
6. 🟢FC Barcelona 3-0 Stade Brest. Matchday 5 of the Champions League league phase (played 78 minutes and provided an assist).
7. 🔴FC Barcelona 1-2 Las Palmas. Matchday 15 of LaLiga (played 64 minutes).
8. 🟢UD Barbastro 0-4 FC Barcelona. Round of 32 of the Copa del Rey (played all 90 minutes).
9. 🟢FC Barcelona 5-1 Betis. Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey (played all 90 minutes).
10. 🟢FC Barcelona 4-0 Real Sociedad. Matchday 26 of LaLiga (played all 90 minutes and scored a goal).
11. 🟢FC Barcelona 4-1 Girona. Matchday 29 of LaLiga (played all 90 minutes and provided an assist).

Héctor Fort and Iñigo Martínez, emergency solutions for the left side

The other alternatives during Álex Balde's time off involve players in positions outside their natural profile, but with experience and quality to cover the left side in emergency cases. The first, widely used by Xavi Hernández in the second half of 23-24, is Héctor Fort. The right-back has played a testimonial role this season as a substitute for the inexhaustible Jules Koundé, but has the confidence of Hansi Flick to lend a hand at any time.

The 18-year-old defender has only accumulated 408 minutes of action spread over 14 games (3 as a starter) and has not played since March 2 against Real Sociedad (4-0), a match in which he played the last quarter of an hour. Among the 'untouchables' of the coach, another who can cover the left side is Iñigo Martínez. The Basque occupied that position on some occasions with Athletic and, just as Eric García and Ronald Araujo have demonstrated the ability to play on the wing, the '5' can also do so in specific cases.