Barcelona are facing a mounting injury headache after their intense Copa del Rey semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou, which took a heavy toll on their defensive line and could complicate their La Liga and Champions League campaigns.
Right-back Jules Kounde has been ruled out until at least the end of March with a hamstring problem, ruling him out of both Champions League Round of 16 clashes against Newcastle United, as well as key La Liga fixtures against Athletic Club, Rayo Vallecano, and Sevilla.
The situation appears even more serious for left-back Alejandro Balde. The Spaniard came on for Kounde after just 11 minutes but was forced off in tears before the 70th minute. Initial reports suggested a similar recovery timeline to Kounde, but new indications point to a potentially longer absence of five to six weeks, depending on further tests. This would see Balde miss crucial La Liga games, including the return trip to Atletico Madrid and the home derby against Espanyol, as well as the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, should Barcelona progress.
Flick: “It has been a match with many chances, but we must accept it. We are all convinced of the style in which we play. Today we have been fantastic.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 3, 2026
Flick: “What Cubarsí did today was incredible. This is the attitude and mentality I want to see from him. He can be the best centre-back in the world.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 3, 2026
The injury crisis leaves manager Hansi Flick with just five available defenders for at least the next month. Joao Cancelo is expected to take on a significantly larger role, while Ronald Araujo may be relied upon more heavily despite having made only one start since returning from a break at the end of 2025. Cancelo himself has clocked just 338 minutes for the season so far, highlighting the thin options Barcelona now have at the back.
Flick praised the attitude of younger players stepping up, tweeting, “What Cubarsí did today was incredible. This is the attitude and mentality I want to see from him. He can be the best centre-back in the world.”
Barcelona now face a delicate balancing act as they attempt to maintain their title challenge and European ambitions while managing a severely depleted defense.
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