Barcelona wary of 20-year-old being called up by Spain for 2024 Olympics

Had he not suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in January, Alejandro Balde would surely be joining with Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad for Euro 2024, especially with first-choice left-back Jose Gaya ruled out with his own hamstring problem. However, he could still represent La Roja this summer.

That’s because the Spanish Football Federation are interested in calling upon Balde for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, as reported by Diario AS. The games start on the 24th of July, which would give the 20-year-old a two-month window to return to full fitness before the action kicks off in France.

Barcelona are wary of Balde being called up, especially given the “Pedri case” in 2021, and also the possible call-ups for 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, who will also be at Euro 2024. However, they also understand that it could act as a period for Balde to get his sharpness up after six months without action.

It remains to be seen whether Balde is included in Santi Denia’s Spain squad for the Olympic Games. Either way, Barcelona are conflicted about the situation, and there are certainly positives and negatives to consider.

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