A nasty injury to Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde has sparked fears that Alex Valle will be recalled from his Celtic loan.

In the 2-1 loss to Las Palmas on Saturday, Balde was forced off in a gruesome scene after reportedly vomiting blood on the pitch.

The full-back was unable to continue with a blow to the trachea leaving him struggling and sparking major concerns for his safety.

Balde was, clearly, unable to continue after the scary moment with Gerard Martin his replacement.

For Celtic, any injury to Balde could come with the consequence of Valle being recalled by Hansi Flick in January.

The wing-back has impressed at Celtic since joining on loan and is competing with Greg Taylor - who is out of contract in the summer - for the starting berth in Brendan Rodgers'  side.

 

Reports previously claimed Barcelona chiefs were working on the option to recall Valle - even if it could come with the cost of a compensation fee.

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Rodgers previously said of Valle's situation and a potential recall in January: "Not that I'm aware of, no," he revealed. "Nobody has told me any different. 

"I suppose we are getting close to the stage where rumours and gossip, and everything kicks in leading into January.

"But I know that Alex has really enjoyed his time here, and both on and off the pitch, he's obviously  a very important player for us. So, we wouldn't want to lose him.

"I think the experience that he's getting here both in the Champions League and domestic football, he's really enjoying his time here."

Thankfully, for the player primarily, and then for Celtic, Balde is said to have recovered from his frightening incident on the pitch. It's reported he walked back to the dressing room and has made a recovery.

Helena Condis Edo reports: "He has recovered from the blow to the trachea.

"They were scared at first but he is fine, fully recovered."