Barcelona stuck with injury crisis ahead of the Champions league second leg

According to recent reports, Barcelona have been dealt a new injury blow ahead of the final stretch of their campaign. The Catalan side will now be without their 26-year-old defender, Jules Koundé, who has suffered a distal hamstring injury. He picked up the injury during the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan. The club has yet to determine how long he will be sidelined.

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.

In the first leg of the campaign, the Italian outfit proved too hot to handle in the first half, scoring two goals before the 30-minute mark. The intensity of the game was high, ultimately resulting in an injury to Koundé. In the 42nd minute, he was forced to be substituted and was replaced by Eric García.

Jules Koundé played a crucial role in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey triumph. In a fiercely contested final against Real Madrid, where both sides battled shoulder to shoulder, it was Koundé’s goal in the 116th minute that proved decisive, securing the title for the Catalans. It remains interesting to see how Barcelona copes with the injury ahead of the close title race and potential Champions League finals. 

What did Hansi Flick say about the second leg of the UEFA Champions League?

Talking about the second leg of the competition, Hansi Flick mentioned that the side has to win it as it is the final before the final. 

The second leg is still to come and we have to win it. It's a final before the final

We have 90 minutes to get to the final, our objective. We have a chance,

Flick also mentioned that his side needs to be stronger and maintain focus throughout the game, as they experienced a lapse in concentration during the first leg of the competition, conceding two early goals. He said:

We didn't start well. We conceded two goals but then we did come back. We have to defend better