Jules Kounde injury deepens Barcelona's defensive crisis

The French defender has failed to recover from a left ankle sprain suffered against Real Betis and will miss another match after experiencing continued discomfort.

Kounde had initially been expected to return, but Barcelona's medical and coaching staff have decided against rushing him back to avoid aggravating the injury.

His absence adds to Flick's growing selection problems following defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, with Barcelona struggling to find consistency.

The defensive injury list also includes Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen and young full-back Xavi Espart, leaving the German coach short of experienced options.

Espart faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a syndesmosis injury to his right ankle during El Clasico. The teenager is expected to be unavailable for approximately seven weeks.

Flick is now likely to turn to Joao Cancelo, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin and Alejandro Balde to fill the defensive positions against Alaves.

With several first-team defenders unavailable, Barcelona could once again be forced to call on players from their youth academy to provide additional cover.

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