Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde recovery timelines 'revealed' as Barcelona duo suffer injuries

Barcelona suffered a double injury blow during Tuesday night's Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou.

Trailing 4-0 from the first leg, Barcelona came up just short in the semi-final, with a 3-0 victory in the second leg ultimately seeing them suffer a 4-3 defeat.

Adding to the disappointment of the elimination, Hansi Flick's side suffered two defensive injuries, with Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde now facing spells on the sidelines at a vital stage of the season.

Kounde was forced off after just 10 minutes of the match due to a hamstring injury, and reports in Spain have claimed that the France international will be sidelined until at least the end of March.

© Imago / IMAGO / Pressinphoto

Kounde, Balde suffered injuries against Atletico

Balde was Kounde's replacement in the cup fixture, but the Spain international was unable to complete the match, suffering a hamstring injury in the second period.

According to SPORT, Balde's issue is more serious than the one sustained by Kounde, and the Spaniard is now facing five to six weeks on the sidelines.

Kounde is expected to miss Barcelona's next five matches, including both legs of their Champions League last-16 contest with Newcastle United.

The Frenchman is also set to be sidelined for the league fixtures with Athletic, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano before the international break at the end of the month.

All being well, Kounde should return for the La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid on April 5.

© Imago / Joan Gosa

Balde, Kounde not expected to return until April

However, Balde might not be back on the field until the league fixture with Celta Vigo towards the end of April, as his issue is more severe.

Andreas Christensen is also out with a serious knee injury, so Flick's defensive options are currently stretched, and the likes of Joao Cancelo and Ronald Araujo could now have more prominent roles in the team in the coming weeks.

Barcelona are still fighting on two fronts in the final months of the campaign, and they currently sit four points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table.