Barcelona‘s injury woes have worsened following a challenging evening at Camp Nou, pushing the coaching staff to consider players from La Masia for backup.
On March 3, during the Copa del Rey match against Atlético Madrid, Barcelona faced a tough defeat, not only losing the game but also seeing critical defenders injured at a crucial time in the season.
By early March, four players had joined the injury list. Kounde, who went down in the first half, was substituted after just 13 minutes. Alejandro Balde took his place but also left the game due to an injury in the 79th minute, prompting Ronald Araújo to step in.
Medical scans later confirmed that both Kounde and Balde had hamstring tears, sidelining them for about a month. They now add to a growing list of first-team players unable to participate.
Frenkie de Jong, who injured his hamstring in training, is out for several weeks. Robert Lewandowski (fractured left eye socket), Gavi (knee injury), and Andreas Christensen (partial ACL tear) are also not available, further stretching the team’s roster at this critical point in the campaign.
With a crucial two-leg Champions League Round of 16 matchup against Newcastle on the horizon, Barcelona’s injury situation has become a major topic of discussion. The timing is particularly challenging as the club faces a packed schedule without key players.
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Post-match, head coach Hansi Flick expressed his disappointment over the injuries at this vital stage of the season and mentioned the need to talk with the medical team. He stated:
“We have two more injuries; I’m not happy. It’s unfortunate.
“With Frenkie, that’s three injuries in a week, all similar. This can’t happen. We need to discuss it.”
With Kounde and Balde now off the field, Barcelona is left with only five defenders available: Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubari, Eric Garcia, Joao Cancelo, and Gerard Martin, making their defensive lineup quite limited heading into upcoming Champions League and La Liga matches.
This lack of depth might push Flick to call on young talent from La Masia to fill in the gaps.
Rising talents Xavi Espart and Patricio Pacifico are among those likely to step up. Both players have received call-ups to train with the senior team and may see increased playing time. Espart, who recently returned from a significant knee injury, is expected to earn more minutes and could step in for Kounde.