Barcelona star not training with the rest of the group ahead of Osasuna encounter

Barcelona will play their final La Liga game before the World Cup when they take on Osasuna in Pamplona on Tuesday night.

And on the eve of the game, journalist Albert Roge is reporting that Barça defender Jules Kounde is not training with the rest of the group, casting doubts over his involvement in the trip to Osasuna.

The 23-year-old centre-half picked up a thigh injury during the Catalan giants’ 1-0 win over Valencia. Since then, he has missed the matches against Viktoria Plzen and UD Almeria.

Reports had indicated that Kounde would undergo tests today to determine his availability for the trip to Pamplona.

While it is unclear whether the said tests have been carried out, the Frenchman has not been spotted training with the rest of the team.

It certainly casts aspersions over whether Kounde will be ready in time for the game on Tuesday night or whether he will even be making the final squad for the contest.

As it is, Xavi has Gerard Pique, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen as options, with the latter two returning to fitness this past weekend. Marcos Alonso is also a possibility, having played at centre-back quite frequently this season.

A clearer picture of Kounde’s situation could emerge when manager Xavi addresses the press. It will be interesting to see whether Barça rush him back especially with players set to depart for the World Cup imminently.

The post Barcelona star not training with the rest of the group ahead of Osasuna encounter appeared first on Barca Universal.

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