Jules Koundé’s chances of featuring against Real Madrid have diminished as he continues to struggle with the injury that kept him out of the Paris Saint-Germain clash, compounding Barcelona’s defensive troubles ahead of El Clásico.
Mundo Deportivo reported that the coaching staff has grown pessimistic regarding the French defender reaching the required level of fitness, even though Hansi Flick had left the door open for his return prior to the Paris match.
Koundé is suffering from a severe sprain in his left ankle, sustained against Real Betis last Saturday. He completed the match despite the injury before returning from Seville the following day visibly limping.
Scans he underwent on Sunday confirmed the nature of the injury, causing Barcelona to lose his services against Paris—coinciding with Eric García’s absence—and forcing Flick to adjust his choices in the backline.
According to the report, the current challenge is to get him fit enough to at least sit on the bench, making him available as a last resort if the circumstances of the Real Madrid encounter demand his utilization.
The newspaper raised the possibility of using painkilling injections to temporarily alleviate the discomfort, but noted concerns over aggravating the injury by placing pressure on the ankle. It added that Koundé himself is not inclined toward this option, leaving the final decision shared between him, the manager, and the medical staff.
Xavi Espart’s impressive performance against Paris provides Flick with an alternative at right-back, though the young player also left the match due to ankle discomfort, with optimism within the squad regarding his availability against Real Madrid.
Barcelona host El Clásico on Sunday, October 25, following their 4-2 European defeat, while Eric García’s absence and Dani Olmo’s injury add to the preparation difficulties, making the monitoring of Koundé and Espart’s recovery key priorities in the coming days.
