Barcelona Head to Paris With Depleted Defence

UEFA registration rules limit short-term reinforcements, forcing Hansi Flick into positional reshuffles.

Overview

Citing a club medical statement on Sunday, Barcelona confirmed Jules Kounde is sidelined with a left ankle sprain, Eric Garcia has a right‑thigh muscle injury expected to keep him out for three to four weeks, and Andreas Christensen is unavailable.
Those absences leave the squad short of senior centre‑backs and have prompted Flick to consider shifting Xavi Espart and João Cancelo into full‑back roles to cover the flanks.
With only five first‑team defenders fit, Barcelona are likely to call up reserve centre‑back Alex Campos as emergency cover for the trip to the Parc des Princes.
Hafiz Gariba cannot be used in this Champions League phase because UEFA List B rules restrict mid‑phase additions, and Alejandro Balde is a possible low‑minutes option despite limited game time this season.
Paris Saint‑Germain will also be without Nuno Mendes for weeks, but Barcelona’s defensive depletion presents the more acute selection challenge for Tuesday’s group‑stage match.