Spanish media outlets sparked panic among Barcelona fans following reports of Jules Koundé’s recent injury against Villarreal on Sunday, and the possibility of a lengthy absence from the pitch.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick attempted to downplay these reports after the match, which Barça won 2-0, asserting that the Frenchman’s injury was not as serious as the Catalan newspapers had claimed.
The newspaper “Sport” had indicated that Koundé’s injury could even rule him out of the Spanish Super Cup, which kicks off on January 7th with Barça facing Athletic Bilbao in Saudi Arabia.
However, the good news for Barcelona fans is that Koundé didn’t even need to undergo medical tests upon the team’s return to Catalonia on Monday morning, and he appears to be suffering from virtually no injury.
Unless something changes, Koundé should be ready for Espanyol’s first La Liga match of 2026, and he will also participate in the Super Cup without any issues.
Barcelona had already lost their star player Andreas Christensen after he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which will sideline him for more than four months.
Koundé has been one of Barcelona’s most frequent starters over the past two years, and his absence will create a significant crisis at right-back. This will force Flick to rely on Eric Garcia, which will leave a shortage in central defense. Therefore, it was crucial to ensure that the Frenchman’s injury was not serious to prevent any negative repercussions on all fronts.
