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Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has a left thigh injury and will be out for about three weeks. This happens during an important part of the season.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Kounde got injured in the first half of Barcelona’s Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan. He had to leave the game before halftime, replaced by Eric Garcia. Tests on Thursday showed the injury. It is similar to one Alejandro Balde had three weeks ago.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The injury is a problem for Barcelona because they have important games coming up. Kounde will miss Saturday’s LaLiga game at Valladolid and the Champions League semifinal second leg in Milan. Barcelona are second in LaLiga, three points behind Real Madrid with five games left, so every match is important for the title race.
MATCHES KOUNDE WILL MISS
Kounde might miss the big El Clásico game on May 11 at Montjuïc. He will likely miss LaLiga games against Espanyol and Villarreal too. Without him, Barcelona lose their main right-back for some of the biggest games this season.
SELECTION HEADACHE FOR XAVI
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez now has a tough choice for the right-back position. Eric Garcia could play there after replacing Kounde in the first leg. Xavi might need to change his defense, move a center-back to the right, or bring in a player from the youth team for these important games.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
Barcelona must play their next games without one of their best defenders. They play away at Real Valladolid on Saturday, aiming to create a bigger gap to Real Madrid in the title race. Barcelona are four points ahead of Madrid with a slightly better goal difference. Then there’s the Champions League semifinal second leg in Milan, and the El Clásico on May 11, which could decide the LaLiga title.
