Injuries are already beginning to pile up for FC Barcelona well before the season has even reached its halfway point. In the latest clash against Granada, the Catalans have already suffered another major setback that could prove to be critical to their season.
Close to the 40th-minute mark, while defending against Granada, Gavi took a tumble headfirst in the direction of Jules Kounde. Initially, the impact did not seem significant but later replays showed that the Frenchman took a hit from an unassuming angle as Gavi was falling and managed to hurt his French teammate.
Despite trying to play through his initial pain, Kounde was eventually subbed off in exchange for Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo coming on. The French central defender had to jog off the pitch and was capable of doing so without any help, which was possibly an initial good sign regarding the extent of the injury.
While extensive details regarding the injury are yet to come out, the latest update has arrived from journalist Javi Miguel of Diario AS. As per his report, Barcelona are currently optimistic about the injury itself and initial assessments suggest that the injury is not looking very serious.
With this latest injury in the first team, Jules Kounde now joins the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, and Lamine Yamal on the sidelines just before the international break.
Early tests ruled out an injury to the cruciate ligaments, so it is likely that Kounde is suffering only from a sprain. The player will undergo further tests today to get a more precise idea of the problem.
If a sprain is confirmed, he will not travel with France in the coming international break, and will be looking to gain full fitness in three weeks, and be ready for El Clasico on 28th October.