Alejandro Balde's Struggles at Barcelona and Manchester United Interest

Alejandro Balde’s Manchester United links have resurfaced – not because he is tearing it up for Barcelona, but because he cannot get on the pitch.

The 22-year-old left-back, who United tried to bring in on loan late in the summer window, watched from the bench as Barcelona opened their Champions League campaign with a ruthless 5-1 win over Feyenoord. Hansi Flick chose to start Joao Cancelo, a right-back by trade and former Manchester City man, on the left instead of the specialist defender sitting behind him in the dugout.

That decision was no one-off. Since United’s loan move failed to materialise, Balde has not played a single minute in any competition. He has been named among the substitutes in every game, but Flick has repeatedly turned elsewhere, a clear signal that the academy product is some way down the pecking order at Camp Nou.

Flick has already laid down the challenge. He wants more from Balde – and he has not been shy about saying so.

Before the transfer window closed, the Barcelona boss even left him out of the match-day squad for the opening La Liga win over Elche. Asked then if he was pushing Balde towards the exit, Flick was adamant that was not the case.

“No, I'm not asking him to leave,” he said. “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.”

Balde has since been reintegrated into the squad, but only in name. His role has been reduced to that of spectator as Cancelo and others take the minutes he craves.

All of this plays out against a familiar backdrop at Old Trafford: a fragile left-back situation that never quite feels resolved.

Michael Carrick goes into United’s Champions League meeting with Sabah with Luke Shaw as his only established senior left-back. Behind Shaw, the options are all compromises. Lisandro Martinez can shuffle across from centre-back. Noussair Mazraoui or Diogo Dalot could flip to the opposite flank. None of those tweaks is ideal for a side trying to build rhythm and stability.

Carrick might be forced to experiment sooner than he would like. Shaw did not train on the eve of the Sabah clash at Old Trafford, immediately raising questions about his availability and the knock-on effect for the weekend’s Manchester Derby.

The United manager moved quickly to calm any panic.

“We just gave him an extra recovery day today. We'll see by tomorrow how he is,” Carrick explained. “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.”

For now, United insist Shaw’s absence is precautionary. For now, Balde remains rooted to the Barcelona bench. But if the England defender’s fitness wobbles again and the Spanish international continues to be overlooked, the question almost asks itself: how long before those summer conversations are reopened?