Jules Kounde faces fresh selection battle as Zidane follows Flick’s lead

Jules Kounde’s struggle to secure a regular starting place at Barcelona and with France has deepened after Zinedine Zidane left the defender on the bench for consecutive international matches.

The 27-year-old joined up with France after featuring as a substitute in six of Barcelona’s seven La Liga games this season. His only start came against Rayo Vallecano.

Kounde was also unused in Barcelona’s most recent three matches against Levante, Racing Santander and Sevilla. He had come off the bench against Valencia after Eric Garcia suffered an injury, but has since found opportunities increasingly limited.

Zidane initially appeared to offer Kounde a significant boost at the start of his time in charge of France. He named him the team’s fourth captain, behind Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Adrien Rabiot, and selected him at right-back for the 1-0 victory over Turkey.

Kounde played the full match in that game, but his position in the side soon became less secure. Zidane opted for Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu at right-back against Belgium and then Italy, with Kounde remaining on the bench for the entire duration of both matches.

The forthcoming meeting with Belgium is therefore likely to provide an important indication of Zidane’s plans. It could show whether Kalulu has established himself as the preferred option or whether the France manager intends to rotate between the two players.

Competition at Barcelona

Kounde’s situation at Barcelona is no more settled. Hansi Flick has previously made clear that he sees Eric Garcia as his preferred choice at right-back, while also discussing with Kounde the possibility of returning to central defence.

That was the position in which Kounde impressed during his first season at the club. Flick said the defender’s attitude remained exemplary but stressed that he would have to compete for his place.

“He is a top-class professional. He has to compete, and he is doing his best in training,” Flick said. “I have also spoken to him about the possibility of playing as a centre-back. He performed very well in his first season with us and we want to see him reach that level again.”

The German manager added that competition within the squad was beneficial for Barcelona, insisting that his decisions were based on what he believed was best for the team rather than on any individual player.

Kounde is now facing a two-sided challenge to regain a starting role. Once a regular for both Barcelona and France, he must now negotiate strong competition in each squad, with his route back into the first XI still unresolved.