Barcelona have suffered a major setback ahead of a crucial week, with defenders Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia ruled out through injury.

The Catalan club confirmed the injuries on social media on Sunday.

Barcelona face reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday before hosting arch-rivals Real Madrid in La Liga next Sunday. The defensive injuries could give head coach Hansi Flick an additional selection headache ahead of the two major fixtures.

Kounde Ruled Out Against PSG

French defender Jules Kounde is primarily a right-back but can also operate at centre-back when required.

However, an ankle problem means Kounde will definitely miss the Champions League clash with PSG.

There is still a possibility that he could recover in time to face Real Madrid.

Eric Garcia, meanwhile, is dealing with a thigh injury and is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks.

That makes his involvement against Real Madrid highly unlikely as well.

Defensive Options Running Thin

Barcelona were already without Danish centre-back Andreas Christensen due to injury.

With Garcia now facing several weeks out and Kounde unavailable for the PSG match, Flick’s main centre-back options are currently Pau Cubarsi and Martin.

There was also some concern over Spanish defender Gerard Martin after he was substituted at half-time during Barcelona’s 5–2 victory over Real Betis last Saturday.

However, Sunday’s medical update did not provide any details about an injury to Martin.

PSG and Real Madrid Await

Barcelona now face two of their biggest tests of the season within a matter of days.

They travel to face PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday before hosting Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the season next Sunday.

With their attack producing goals at an impressive rate, Flick’s latest challenge will be finding the right defensive combination to cope with two high-profile opponents.