Barcelona are heading into the new season with a problem at left-back.
Joao Cancelo is still thrashing out a return to the club, while Alejandro Balde has been unable to get going after physical problems kept him from training normally throughout pre-season.
According to AS newspaper, Balde's issues have stopped him playing a single minute. He missed the friendly against Birmingham and the two trial matches Hansi Flick's side contested during their preparations.
The secrecy around his condition makes it hard to pin down what is actually wrong. It could be a back problem caused by a hernia, an injury he has suffered before, or pain in the groin area, which would be more worrying.
Balde lost his place in the side last season after Cancelo arrived, and he did not feature at the World Cup.
