Barcelona hit by another injury blow as Jules Kounde forced off against Atletico

Barcelona’s injury crisis deepened inside the opening quarter-hour of Tuesday night’s Copa del Rey semi-final second leg at the Civitas Metropolitano when Jules Kounde crumpled to the turf and signalled he could not continue. The French centre-back lasted only 11 minutes before head coach Hansi Flick turned to Alejandro Balde as an emergency replacement. Kounde, visibly frustrated, slumped onto the bench while medical staff began immediate assessment; the exact nature and projected length of his absence remain undisclosed.

The reshuffle triggered a second defensive headache late in the contest. Balde, who had helped steady the back line, pulled up clutching his hamstring and limped off in clear distress, wiping tears from his eyes as Ronald Araujo completed the final minutes. The double setback leaves Flick scrambling for fit bodies ahead of Saturday’s La Liga trip to San Mamés, where Athletic Club lie in wait.

Eric Garcia will return from suspension this weekend, and Joao Cancelo is expected to retain his starting role, yet the squad is perilously thin. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong remains unavailable, although there is cautious optimism that Robert Lewandowski could feature wearing a protective mask. With the Spanish Cup final on the horizon and league points critical, Barcelona’s medical staff face a race against time to patch together a viable rearguard.