Jules Koundé Injury Clouds Barça’s UCL and La Liga Hopes

Jules Koundé picked up a hamstring injury in his left leg during the Champions League semi-final first leg clash against Inter Milan. That means he’s likely to miss the second leg next week — a huge setback as the pressure builds.

Barça confirmed on Thursday that Koundé is dealing with a distal hamstring injury. The club didn’t give a return date, saying it depends on how fast he recovers.

“We’ll decide his return based on how his recovery goes,” the club said on its official site.

Typically, this kind of injury takes around two weeks to heal — but timing couldn’t be worse. Barça faces Inter again on Tuesday and is locked in a tight La Liga title race. A massive showdown against Real Madrid is coming up on May 11, and it could decide everything.

Just last weekend, Koundé was the hero — scoring the winning goal in extra time against Real in the Copa del Rey final. He’s already netted 4 goals this season as a defender.

Now, Barça will have to push forward without him — at least for now.