The Spain international, restricted by a string of injuries including one suffered during this same pre-season, had not featured for Barcelona until Saturday's defeat to Udinese in a triangular tournament in Italy.
Balde came on for the final half hour after academy graduate Jofre Pesquer had played the opening 60 minutes, but struggled to make an impact, and was left exposed just 29 minutes into his cameo when Udinese scored the winning goal, with a video of Balde failing to track back on a slow-paced counter-attack quickly going viral on social media.
The dip in form is not a new development, with Balde's performances having tailed off throughout last season as injuries — including a back complaint that has recurred this pre-season — and a reduced role limited his impact.
It leaves Barcelona increasingly reliant on completing a permanent transfer for Cancelo, who has already returned to training with Al-Hilal while he awaits Barcelona's move, no longer as a loan option but as an outright signing.
A deal for the Portugal international could cost Barcelona in the region of €8m to €10m, though talks have dragged on longer than expected, with Cancelo continuing to signal his desire to return to the club through hints on social media.
He had already won the left-back job from a below-par Balde last season, and his return to Camp Nou is increasingly viewed as a necessity given Pesquer's inexperience and Balde's performance levels currently sitting well below the standard that earned him his Spain caps.
Balde, 22, broke into Barcelona's first team as a teenager and has been capped by Spain, but his campaign last season was repeatedly disrupted, including being substituted in both the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan.
With the club targeting a serious Champions League push this season, the uncertainty over their starting left-back has become one of the more pressing issues for Flick to resolve before the transfer window closes.