FC Barcelona saw their winning run at the start of the 2026-27 season come to an end as they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in their third UEFA Champions League game. The Catalans fought bravely against the reigning European champions, but were ultimately defeated by the Parisians 4-2.
Hansi Flick had to go into this game without some of his important players. The backline was particularly depleted for this game, as Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde both suffered problems in the previous game against Real Betis, and had to miss the game against PSG.
Going forward, the Blaugranes have another crucial game awaiting them, as they will host their bitter rivals Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou this Sunday. As [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20261021/1004241488/kounde-dificil-clasico.html) has reported, both of these players are highly unlikely to return to availability for El Clasico.
[Garcia is almost ruled out for this game](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/barcelona-suffer-eric-garcia-injury-scare-ahead-of-psg-and-real-madrid-clashes/), while Kounde’s presence is also highly doubtful. He suffered a sprain during the game against Betis, and there was an easily noticeable limp in his stride when he returned to Barcelona after the match in Seville.
Hansi Flick himself had not ruled out the possibility of him playing against Real Madrid. However, there still is significant pain in the affected area, and the coaching staff believes that he will hardly have time to recover for El Clasico. For now, their goal is to have him ready to be available at least as a substitute, so he can come on the pitch if the circumstances demand.
A temporary measure for El Clasico could be to reduce his pain by injections, but it can backfire as it can aggravate the ligament injury by putting more strain on the affected area. Hansi Flick himself is not a keen user of such injections, but his hand might be forced if Xavi Espart is also not available for Barcelona in the game against Real Madrid.