Alarm at Barça! Jules Koundé injured against Inter

FC Barcelona suffered another injury blow this Wednesday. Jules Koundé, the hero of the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, went off injured in the 41st minute of the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Inter Milan. The Frenchman felt a twinge in his calf and immediately sat down on the pitch to request a substitution.

Hansi Flick brought on Eric García in his place, one of the alternative positions the Martorell native can occupy in defense. Koundé's injury couldn't have come at a worse time, as it occurred during Barcelona's best spell, with the team piling pressure on the 'Nerazzurri' box.

The Italians had taken a 0-2 lead within 21 minutes, but a wonder goal from Lamine Yamal in the 24th minute and another fine goal from Ferran Torres in the 38th leveled the score in just 17 minutes. However, Jules' departure briefly halted the momentum of the Catalan team, which had been putting Inter under immense pressure with up to 9 shots (4 on target).

Koundé, a significant loss for Barça in the final stretch of the season

For the Culés, the absence of the number '23' adds to those of Alejandro Balde and Robert Lewandowski, both of whom have been sidelined for a couple of weeks. However, the Frenchman's absence is much harder to cover, as the squad's only natural right-back, Héctor Fort, has played very little so far.

The number '32' has clocked up just 557 minutes of action across 16 appearances (4 as a starter, all in La Liga). This explains why Flick opted for Eric García on Wednesday in such a high-stakes match. The other option is Ronald Araujo, but the Uruguayan hasn't played on the right this season and, currently, hasn't regained his best form as a center-back either.

As things stand, the wait is on to determine the recovery time for Koundé, who leads the squad in minutes played (4,421') and appearances (53) in the 2024-25 season. The Paris native only rested in La Liga against Mallorca (1-0), just before the Copa del Rey final. For Inter, their top scorer and captain, Lautaro Martínez, also went off injured before halftime.