Barcelona to miss Kounde, Balde in Champions League last 16

Barcelona will be without defenders Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde for their Champions League last 16 tie against Newcastle after both were diagnosed with hamstring injuries on Wednesday.

The injuries occurred during Barca’s 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, a result that still saw the Catalans eliminated 4-3 on aggregate.

According to Barcelona, Balde’s recovery is expected to take four weeks, while French media report that Kounde, 27, is likely to be sidelined for a similar period. The club did not give an exact timeframe for Kounde.

The duo will miss not only the Champions League fixtures but also La Liga matches against Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, and Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona are also without midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Kounde’s injury raises doubts over his availability for France’s friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in the United States at the end of March, ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Balde, a Spain international, has been behind Marc Cucurella and Alex Grimaldo in coach Luis de la Fuente’s selections.