Another Barcelona player is a serious doubt for Sunday's Clásico against Real Madrid.
Barcelona confirmed today that Dani Olmo will miss the game through injury, with his lay-off estimated at around four weeks.
With Clásico preparations under way after yesterday's 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, the coaching staff are growing pessimistic about a second player.
Jules Koundé (27) suffered a severe sprain to his left ankle during last Saturday's match against Real Betis.
He finished the game but turned up the following day with a clear limp. Medical examinations on Sunday revealed a painful sprain, one that ruled him out of yesterday's clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
The newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reports that his involvement in Sunday's match against Real Madrid remains in doubt.
Hansi Flick, the Barça coach, did not rule him out of Sunday's game when he spoke to the press ahead of the Paris Saint-Germain match.
As things stand, though, the coaching staff consider it highly unlikely he can play in the Clásico. The pain in the injured area still leaves him limping noticeably.
The aim is at least to have him available on the bench for emergencies, a last resort if needed.
A pain-killing injection could get him through the game, but it risks aggravating the injury.
The final call rests with the player, Flick and the medical team. For now, pessimism prevails over Koundé's involvement, not least because the Frenchman dislikes anaesthetic injections.
Xavi Espart's strong form had been tipped to soften the blow of Koundé's absence, but his substitution yesterday with ankle discomfort has muddled Flick's cards.
Flick pointed to another option to shore up the back line: Frenkie de Jong.
Yet he gave the Dutchman no minutes yesterday, neither in defence nor midfield, which dents his chances of featuring in the Clásico.