Madrid, Oct 23 (IANS) FC Barcelona look almost certain to be without defender Jules Kounde for Sunday’s vital La Liga game at home to arch-rival Real Madrid after the Frenchman failed to train with his teammates on Friday.
Kounde sprained his ankle in last Saturday’s 5-2 win away to Betis, and although he missed Tuesday’s Champions League defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain, there had been hopes he could recover in time for Sunday’s match, in which Barcelona will look to extend their six-point lead over their historic rival.
However, Kounde’s failure to train with the group on Friday, as he worked with a physiotherapist in the gym, means he is now highly unlikely to be available for Sunday’s game.
His injury comes at a bad time for Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, who also lost Eric Garcia to a thigh injury last Saturday, with the Spain international expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks. Andreas Christensen is also unavailable as he continues to recover from a thigh injury.
Flick called up B-team defender Alex Campos, who travelled to Paris with the squad this week, to Friday’s training session, along with B-team midfielders Orian Goren and Ebrima Tunkara.
The Barcelona coach has several options to replace Kounde on Sunday, with 19-year-old Xavi Espart the most likely candidate to fill in at right-back. Alternatively, Flick could move Joao Cancelo from left-back to right-back and bring Alejandro Balde into the starting lineup on the left.
Espart made his first-team debut last season and was an unused substitute when Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-0 in May to clinch the league title. He has since established himself as a regular member of coach Hansi Flick’s squad.
The teenager’s versatility, which allows him to operate at either fullback position and contribute in attack, has helped him earn more playing time. He also scored his first Champions League goal in Tuesday’s 4-2 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, reports Xinhua.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo in an interview published Thursday, the Barcelona academy graduate acknowledged the intensity of the challenge awaiting him.
“The truth is it will be a war,” Espart said, insisting that his side would hold nothing back.
“We will go all out; it’s a Clasico. You always have to give one hundred percent, and now we have the opportunity to move further ahead in points, so we will fight to the death,” he added.
If selected, Espart could face a difficult assignment against Real Madrid’s Yan Diomande, who scored a spectacular volley in Wednesday’s 4-1 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig.
–IANS
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