Jules Kounde faces fight for Barcelona place as French appearance record nears

Jules Kounde has lost his regular starting place at Barcelona in an unexpected setback, despite being one of the club’s most-used players since Hansi Flick became manager. The France defender is now facing a battle to reclaim his position at right-back, just as he closes in on becoming the most-capped French player in Barcelona’s history.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Kounde’s position in the team is under pressure for the first time since he established himself on the right side of defence. His previous performances for the club had not been a subject of dispute, but he has been left out of the starting line-up in six of Barcelona’s opening seven La Liga matches this season and was also unused in some games.

Kounde has played only 261 minutes across La Liga and the Champions League this campaign. Eric Garcia has instead earned Flick’s confidence at right-back, further reducing the France international’s role.

The 26-year-old has not attempted to make excuses for the change in his circumstances. While on international duty with France, he acknowledged that his inconsistent form last season had contributed to the loss of his place.

Kounde said he had produced performances that were “below the standards I set for myself”.

His position with France is also no longer guaranteed. Zinedine Zidane, the new France manager, has made clear that he does not intend to rely permanently on a large group of established starters. All players, he says, must prove they deserve to be selected.

During the current international break, Kounde started France’s match against Turkey but did not play against Belgium or Italy. He returned to the team for France’s most recent meeting with Belgium.

The defender’s reduced status at both Barcelona and international level has prompted renewed reports that he could leave the Catalan club during the winter transfer window. Kounde, however, has again insisted that he is not considering a move away. His contract with Barcelona runs until 2030.

His immediate objective is to work harder and improve his performances in an effort to convince Flick that he can rediscover the form he previously showed and become a more prominent part of the manager’s plans in the coming months.

Kounde could nevertheless mark the difficult period with a significant Barcelona milestone. If he plays against Getafe at Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday, he will become the French player with the most appearances in the club’s history.

He equalled Eric Abidal’s previous record of 193 appearances for Barcelona during the match against Feyenoord. One more appearance would allow Kounde to move clear at the top of the list.

Across those 193 matches for the Catalan club, Kounde has scored 10 goals and provided 22 assists.