Barcelona could face a significant lack on El Classicos’ eve of Real Madrid, as Jules Kounde is expected to lose Sunday’s face.

According to the Spanish newspaper Diario AS, The French defender also missed Friday training while recovery from the spraining of the ankle is moving slower than anticipated.

Counde suffered the injury during the match against Real Betis and, despite attempts to recover in time, the chances of his being willing to challenge Real Madrid are very small.

The Frenchman also missed Barcelona’s 4-2 defeat of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. On Friday, he continued his individual work at the gym, away from training with the rest of the team.

The situation becomes even more complicated for Barcelona coach, since Eric Garcia is also out because of an injury.

Under these circumstances, Xavi Espart is expected to retain the country on the right-hand side of the El Classico defence, following his impressive performance against PSG’s.

Barcelona will hope that Espart confirms the form shown in Europe, in a match where any absence can have significant impact. /Telegraph/