Barcelona hope defender can make the bench vs Real Madrid after missing PSG clash

Barcelona hope defender can make the bench vs Real Madrid after missing PSG clash Jules Kounde is fighting to recover from a left ankle sprain in time for FC Barcelona’s El Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday. The Frenchman suffered the injury during the Catalans’ La Liga match against Real Betis last weekend and missed the Champions League trip to face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. Now, according to SPORT , Barcelona have not ruled him out of the encounter against Real Madrid, but his availability will depend on how his ankle responds to treatment over the coming days. The club intend to assess Kounde until the last possible moment, with five days remaining before the fixture at the time of the report. Barça are hopeful he could be available to Hansi Flick in some capacity, but they will not take unnecessary risks with his recovery. Barcelona wait on Kounde as Flick weighs defensive options Kounde returned to Barcelona after the Betis match struggling to walk comfortably. Medical tests carried out on Sunday confirmed a sprain in his left ankle, ruling him out of the subsequent meeting with PSG. The defender has been working throughout the week in an effort to return before El Clasico . While his chances of starting remain slim, Barça have not closed the door on including him among the substitutes should his recovery progress sufficiently. Recovering from an ankle injury. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) His potential return would be particularly valuable given the club’s current defensive problems. Andreas Christensen has been sidelined since sustaining an injury in September, while Eric Garcia suffered an injury against Betis and is expected to miss four to five weeks. Those absences, combined with Kounde’s setback, left Flick with only a handful of available defenders for the PSG game. Gerard Martin played despite ankle discomfort, with Joao Cancelo and Xavi Espart operating as full-backs. Alejandro Balde came on late in the match, making only his second appearance of the season as a substitute. Kounde could make the bench at the most Barcelona’s defensive depth has been stretched at a difficult point in the calendar. Kounde had lost his regular starting place this season but had gradually been receiving more minutes. Having the experienced defender available for a high-stakes clash like the one against Real Madrid would give Flick greater flexibility in managing the game. Will Kounde make it back in time for the Clasico? (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images) Barcelona are nevertheless expected to remain cautious with Kounde. Even if he makes sufficient progress to travel with the squad, a place on the bench appears more realistic than a starting role. Kounde’s return would strengthen a defence already short of options, particularly with Eric García and Christensen unavailable. Yet rushing him back against Real Madrid would carry an obvious risk: aggravating the ankle injury and losing him for a longer period. Flick’s best outcome is to have Kounde available only if medical assessments show he can contribute without any risk. If he cannot, Barcelona must trust their remaining defenders rather than compromise his recovery for one fixture, even if it is the Clasico .