Barcelona defender a doubt for El Clasico after missing second training session; midfielder returns | OneFootball

FC Barcelona continue their preparations for Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid, but there is some concern growing within the camp about the availability of a key player.

Barça have recovered Raphinha after a month out with an injury, and the Brazilian winger is expected to be available for the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Jules Kounde’s availability now seems to have come under a cloud of uncertainty.

Kounde misses second training session

Indeed, according to SPORT, Kounde did not arrive for training at the Ciutat Esportiva at the scheduled time this morning.

The French international also missed yesterday’s session due to a knock, leaving his participation against Real Madrid dependent on how his condition develops.

It is worth noting that players have a latest arrival time of 9:30 am, exactly one and a half hours before the session begins. Any player arriving after that time reports for specific gym work instead of joining the full session.

And, Kounde arrived at the club facilities a little after 10:45 am. As such, he will now have been absent for two consecutive sessions in the lead-up to the Clasico, and if he does not recover in time, Hansi Flick will assess alternative options to cover his position.

Frenkie de Jong back

Back in training. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Frenkie de Jong, on the other hand, is expected to train normally this morning after missing Thursday’s session with illness.

The Dutch midfielder was the first player to arrive at the training ground and has fully recovered from the bout of gastroenteritis that kept him out of yesterday’s group session.

De Jong’s recovery has been quick, and all signs indicate that he could play an important role in El Clasico.

The midfield heavyweight is one of the players most frequently used by Flick so far this season, and his progress is a huge positive for the Catalans.