Barcelona have confirmed that Jules Kounde has suffered a hamstring injury, and he is set to be out of action for three weeks, dealing a major blow to their treble hopes.
The French defender went off injured in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash against Inter Milan on Wednesday
Barcelona confirmed in a statement on Thursday that Kounde has suffered a hamstring injury.
The statement reads: “Tests carried out on first team player Jules Kounde this morning have shown he has a distal hamstring injury in his left leg. His evolution will determine when he returns to first team activities.”
According to reports in Spain, Kounde is expected to be out of action for three weeks, ruling him out of the second leg against Inter Milan on Tuesday.
He will also miss the el Classico clash with Real Madrid in LaLiga on May 11, and will be unavailable for Saturday’s visit to face Real Valladolid.
Kounde has been an ever-present part of the Barcelona side vying for the treble, making 53 appearances in all competitions this season.
He further established his importance to the team with the winning goal in the 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final last Saturday.
Eric Garcia replaced him against Inter Milan, he is expected to fill in for the Frenchman in the subsequent matches.
Hansi Flick’s team were without the services of top scorer Robert Lewandoski, Marc Casado, and Alejandro Balde.
Barcelona are four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid in the La Liga title race with five matches to go, and they also played out a 3-3 draw at home against Inter Milan on Wednesday.
The Blaugrana will be hoping to emerge victorious in the tie on Tuesday to book their first Champions League final place since 2015.
