Koundé still injured at Barcelona and likely to miss France duty

Koundé still injured at Barcelona and likely to miss France duty Zinedine Zidane will likely have to do without a key player during the upcoming international break! In Barcelona, what was supposed to be a minor injury scare has turned into a major problem. After injuring his left ankle against Real Betis on October 17, Jules Koundé was expected to be out for just a week. The Catalan coaching staff even left the door open for a quick return in time for El Clásico. But as the days pass, the French defender remains frustrated and out of the squad, unable to put on his boots without experiencing severe pain in the joint, according to the newspaper Sport. Having been ruled out of the matches against PSG, Real Madrid, Alavés and Aston Villa, the French international has been sidelined for much longer than expected. With the risk of a setback, caution has become paramount. And the verdict is now in: Hansi Flick no longer expects his full-back to return before the end of the upcoming international break, the newspaper reports. Koundé out again Koundé will therefore miss the match against Atlético de Madrid, making it his fifth consecutive game watching from the stands. This decision also ends his chances of joining the France squad for the upcoming international break, when they face Turkey and Italy. Zinedine Zidane will have to do without his first-choice right-back. This setback is all the more frustrating because Koundé was at a crucial juncture. In Zidane's first match in charge, he had to share playing time with Pierre Kalulu, despite previously being an undisputed starter. This should prompt the new coach to try something different on the right flank, perhaps with a new player? This bad news adds to the already confirmed absences of William Saliba and Maxence Lacroix in defence. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.