Barcelona to face PSG without Eric García and Jules Koundé

BarcelonaBarcelonaLaLiga · Spain are reported to be without Eric García and Jules Koundé for Tuesday's Champions LeagueChampions LeagueEurope game against Paris Saint-Germain, with both players ruled out of the fixture and a Clásico to follow.

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Season 2025/26

What has been reported about the two absences

The pair have been ruled out of the PSG game. Beyond that, little is settled: Barcelona have not commented publicly on why either player is unavailable, and no return date has been set out for either of them. Whether either would be in contention for the Clásico is likewise unclear.

Why the timing matters

Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0

Losing two players is routine news across a long season. The timing here is not. Tuesday's fixture is Barcelona's Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, and the Clásico comes next on the calendar. Weeks of that shape are where a squad is measured, because selection for a European night has to be weighed against the state of the side for the domestic game that follows.

The selection question

Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0

Barcelona have not announced a line-up, and it is not yet clear who comes in for the two absentees. Whatever answer the coaching staff land on, the options are narrower than they would have been with both players available, and that is the part of the week most exposed to chance.

The Clásico sharpens the calculation. A coach who expects a player back within days may handle Tuesday differently from one who does not, and no return timeline has been given for either man. That leaves the club's team selections as the clearest signal of how long it expects to be without them.

What is not yet known

• Why either player is unavailable. Barcelona have not said.
• How long either will be out. No return date has been given.
• Whether either will be available for the Clásico.
• Who takes their places in the starting line-up.
• Whether the club will confirm the absences before kick-off.

What happens next

The picture should become clearer when Barcelona name their squad for Tuesday's game. Until then, the absences are best read as reported rather than settled, because a player described as ruled out can still be included if the club's assessment changes before kick-off. After Tuesday, attention moves to the Clásico, and whether García and Koundé appear in that game is the question the coming days will answer.