Kounde and Balde ruled out of Barcelona's Champions League tie with Newcastle

[p]Both players were taken off hurt during [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barca[/a]'s 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final win [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/atl-madrid-jaarqpLQ/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/?mid=EN3sJIfk"]over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday[/a], with the Catalans ousted 4-3 on aggregate.[/p][p][b]"The time of the recovery process (for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/balde-alejandro/6c0CXHVM/"]Balde[/a]) will be four weeks," [/b]said Barcelona in a statement, without specifying how long [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kounde-jules/v36QVRPu/"]Kounde[/a] will miss.[/p][p]Spanish media reported that France international Kounde, 27, is likely to be sidelined for a similar length of time.[/p][p]As well as the Champions League matches, the duo will also miss LaLiga games against Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano.[/p][embed guid="bc36033b-8cd0-4ee6-b186-e75751e8a78f" url="https://x.com/FCBarcelona/status/2029178152384074049" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Barcelona are currently also without midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-jong-frenkie/A1F3rz9c/"]Frenkie de Jong[/a], who also has a hamstring injury.[/b][/p][p]The injury makes Kounde a doubt for France's friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in the United States at the end of March, in the build-up to this summer's World Cup.[/p][p]Balde is a Spain international but has been behind Marc Cucurella and Alex Grimaldo in coach Luis de la Fuente's pecking order.[/p]