Koundé speeds ankle rehab as Barça face Clásico with four absences

Jules Koundé is accelerating his ankle rehabilitation while Barcelona prepare to host Real Madrid on Sunday 25 October at the Camp Nou. Four players are already ruled out, and the French defender’s fitness will be decided on the day of the match, meaning the Clásico could see five absences.

Dani Olmo was treated on the Paris pitch before withdrawing with a left‑adductor injury that will keep him out for at least a month. The Spanish midfielder missed the 4‑2 Champions League loss to PSG, and the club’s medical team confirmed the problem, also ruling him out of Spain’s Nations League fixtures and upcoming league games against Alavés, Aston Villa, Atlético de Madrid and Villarreal.

Defensive injuries pile up

Andreas Christensen has been nursing a left‑quadriceps muscle strain since the 19 September clash with Sevilla, now lasting more than a month with no return date. Eric García suffered a thigh issue in the league encounter with Real Betis, with a recovery window of three to four weeks. Roony Bardghji remains sidelined after an anterior cruciate ligament rupture suffered in pre‑season, expected back only in the final phase of the campaign.

Flick faces midfield reshuffle

Koundé sprained his ankle in the same Betis match and is hastening his medical clearance to be available for the Clásico. He is the only centre‑back bought with a transfer fee under Joan Laporta’s presidency, making his potential absence a significant blow to a defence already missing Christensen and García.

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Hansi Flick will have to re‑configure his midfield as LaLiga and Champions League fixtures converge without respite. The loss of Olmo, combined with the defensive woes, leaves the German coach with limited options ahead of a demanding schedule.

Barcelona will line up against Real Madrid with four confirmed absences – Olmo, Christensen, García and Bardghji – and Koundé’s fate still undecided. The decision is expected in the hours before matchday 10 of LaLiga, determining whether the club confronts the white attack with four or five missing players.

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The outcome of Koundé’s medical assessment will be the final piece shaping Barça’s approach to one of the season’s most physically and emotionally charged encounters.