Barcelona will be without two key defenders for its Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain after Hansi Flick confirmed the club’s latest injury situation. Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde are both sidelined, leaving the Catalan club to rework its back line for one of the biggest matches of the group stage.
Eric suffered a muscle injury against Betis and will miss not only the PSG match but also Barcelona’s upcoming clash with Real Madrid. Kounde is also out for the PSG fixture, with the French defender set to be sidelined for three to four weeks. The timeline for Kounde’s return was not specified beyond that window.
What The Team Said
Eric spoke about the blow of missing both marquee fixtures after picking up the injury against Betis. “It makes me angry and sad that I can’t be there,” he said. His absence covers both the PSG match and the following meeting with Real Madrid, a stretch that will test Barcelona’s depth at center back.
Kounde’s three to four week absence removes another experienced option from Flick’s lineup for the PSG matchup specifically. No further designation beyond that timeframe has been given for either player.
Who Replaces Them In The Back Line
With Eric and Kounde unavailable, Barcelona’s central defensive partnership is set to be made up of Gerard Martin, 24, and Pau Cubarsi, 19. The pairing represents a notably young central defense for a match of this magnitude against a PSG side that also enters shorthanded.
PSG will be missing its own full-back depth. Portuguese defender Nuno Mendes is out for several weeks with a muscle injury sustained against Strasbourg and is set to be replaced by former Barcelona player Mathys Digne. Both sides head into the Champions League meeting dealing with significant defensive absences.
There was better injury news elsewhere for Flick. Barcelona’s captain played 20 minutes against Betis and has been cleared for both the PSG and Real Madrid matches, giving the manager at least one experienced option back in the fold even as Eric and Kounde sit out.
Season Context
Barcelona enters the match in strong form. The club opened its Champions League campaign with a 5-1 win over Feyenoord and has gone on to win six games while scoring 26 goals since that opener, according to ESPN. That offensive output has carried Barcelona through the group stage even as the defensive unit now faces its stiffest test without two regular starters.
What’s Next
Barcelona’s makeshift back line of Martin and Cubarsi will be tested immediately against PSG, with Flick also preparing for the Real Madrid match on the heels of the European fixture. No official timeline has been given for when Kounde or Eric will be reassessed, and further updates on their status are expected as the club approaches both matches.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
