MADRID, March 4 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona defenders Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde suffered muscle injuries in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Tuesday.
Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 at the Camp Nou Stadium, but failed to overturn the 4-0 first leg defeat and was eliminated 4-3 on aggregate.
Kounde was replaced by Balde in the 13th minute, only for the latter to also need to be taken off in the 71st minute.
Indications are that both players will be out of action for around a month, meaning they could return on April 5, when Barcelona returns to Atletico's Metropolitano Stadium in La Liga.
The pair will miss Saturday's La Liga game away to Athletic Bilbao and the UEFA Champions League last-16 tie against Newcastle United, as well as league games against Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano. ■
