Koundé's status for Alavés clash

Jules Koundé, the French defender of FC Barcelona, will miss the match against Alavés scheduled for Saturday in LaLiga, as his left ankle sprain has not improved sufficiently following the injury he sustained against Real Betis ten days ago.

Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that expectations were optimistic regarding Jules Koundé's return at the beginning of the week, but the player felt discomfort when putting on his boots on Wednesday and trained away from the group, leading all parties to agree to delay his return to avoid aggravating the injury.

The French defender missed Barcelona's defeats to Paris Saint-Germain by four goals to two in the UEFA Champions League, and to Real Madrid by two goals to one in LaLiga.

Jules Koundé's absence adds to Hans Flick's defensive woes, with Erik Garcia, Andreas Christensen, and Xavi Espart also unavailable, leaving the available defenders limited to João Cancelo, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, and Balde.

The Spanish newspaper reported that Flick may rely on Farinas at right-back, while deploying Rodri or De Jong in central defense remains a less likely option, as 18-year-old Alex Campos, a defender from the reserve team, has been training with the first team in recent days.