Barcelona superstar Alejandro Balde was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United towards the end of the summer transfer window
Former Manchester United transfer target Alejandro Balde was an unused substitute in Barcelona’s most recent Champions League clash.
The Catalans started their European campaign with a 5-1 dismantling of Feyenoord. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick deployed ex-Manchester City right-back Joao Cancelo at left-back against the Dutch side, despite having Balde, a natural left-back, at his disposal.
Ever since United attempted to sign the Spanish defender on loan in the summer transfer window, Flick has not used him in any capacity. Balde has sat on the bench in every match in all competitions this season, suggesting he is not of great importance for the Blaugrana.
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Flick recently stated he wants to see more commitment from the 22-year-old and made it clear he will have to fight for his place on the team.
Before the end of the transfer window, Flick, having excluded him from his match-day squad, which beat Elche in their first La Liga match, said: “No, I’m not asking him to leave.
“This morning I felt there was something wrong. I spoke to him and said: ‘At this moment, I have this feeling, and I think it’s best for you to clear your mind, sort out your thoughts, and then we’ll talk again tomorrow.’
“And he agreed as well. He agreed to it because there are so many things going around in his head, and that’s why he’s not here.”
Flick reintegrated him back into the squad but has not brought him on from the bench at any point. Meanwhile, United’s only senior left-back at Michael Carrick’s disposal is Luke Shaw.
If the Englishman were to pick up an injury, Carrick would likely have to deploy Lisandro Martinez at left-back or move one of Noussair Mazraoui or Diogo Dalot to the opposite flank, which would be a far from ideal situation. He may have the opportunity to test a new solution this evening.
Shaw did not take part in the training session before United’s Champions League clash against Sabah at Old Trafford. Carrick suggested the former Southampton defender won’t feature and will instead rest ahead of this weekend’s Manchester Derby.
When asked about Shaw’s absence from training, the United manager said: “We just gave him an extra recovery day today. We’ll see by tomorrow how he is.
“It’s not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was just off the back of the game the other day. So, as normal, each individual has different little things that we manage.”
Watch Man United vs Sabah on TNT Sports
Manchester United host Sabah FK in their opening Champions League fixture on September 10. Fans can watch the game live on TNT Sports via HBO Max or Prime Video’s TNT Sports channel.
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