Confirmed: Koundé out for Alavés clash

Koundé ruled out for Saturday's match against Alavés; Barcelona managing multiple defensive injuries ahead of the fixture.

Jules Koundé has been ruled out of Barcelona's La Liga match against Alavés on Saturday at 21:00. The French defender was absent from Friday's training session and will not recover in time for the encounter.

Koundé's absence adds to Barcelona's defensive crisis. Eric García, Andreas Christensen and Xavi Espart are also sidelined through injury, while Dani Olmo and Roony Bardghji complete the injury list. Manager Hansi Flick has turned to Barcelona Atlètic to bolster his squad, with 19-year-old right-back Guillem Victor and 18-year-old centre-back Àlex Campos training with the first team and likely to feature in the squad. Campos has already been included in matchday squads for the PSG and Real Madrid fixtures.

Barcelona are seeking a response after losing 2-1 to Real Madrid last Sunday and face a significant challenge in defence with so many key players unavailable.