Injured Barcelona defender on track to return fully fit for pre-season
Barcelona defender Jules Kounde is expected to return to full fitness in time for the club's pre-season preparations, which begin on July 13.
According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, it has been learned that the French international is recovering well from the hamstring injury he picked up on April 30 during the thrilling 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Advertisement
Kounde's injury sidelined him for the rest of the season under Hansi Flick and also cost him a place in Didier Deschamps' France squad for the UEFA Nations League matches, where they faced Spain in the semi-final and then Germany for the third-place finish.
However, recent updates suggest the 26-year-old is on course for a complete recovery, with no setbacks reported.
Training hard despite being on holiday
While enjoying a well-earned break in the United States, Kounde has been posting regular updates on social media showing his commitment to recovery.
From running in public parks to working out on athletics tracks, he is making sure he returns in peak physical condition for the new campaign.
Advertisement
The injury, a distal hamstring issue in his left thigh, now appears to be healing well. Sources close to the club and the player believe there is no reason to worry about his availability when the squad reunites in July.
Kounde's work ethic hasn't gone unnoticed either, as Barcelona manager Hansi Flick even joked during a press conference that resting the Frenchman is nearly impossible: 'Otherwise he will go running along the Sitges seafront.'
Now a key figure at right-back, despite originally being a central defender, Kounde's dedication and versatility make him a vital part of Flick's plans going forward.
With his recovery going smoothly, Barcelona fans can look forward to seeing him back in action for pre-season training and ready for a fresh start under the new manager.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
The Paris Games flame rises again — but it's no longer ‘Olympic'
PARIS — The Paris Games may be over, but the flame is still rising — just don't call it Olympic. The helium-powered hot-air balloon that lit up the French capital's skyline during the 2024 Games is making a dramatic comeback to the Tuileries Gardens, reborn as the 'Paris Cauldron.'
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Kevin De Bruyne joins Napoli following Manchester City exit
Napoli have confirmed the signing of Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer following his departure Manchester City. De Bruyne announced in April that he would be leaving City at the end of the season after 10 years at the club, with his contract expiring at the end of June. The 33-year-old has now joined Napoli, who won this season's Serie A title. Benvenuto Kevin! — AurelioDeLaurentiis (@ADeLaurentiis) June 12, 2025 Antonio Conte's side, who sold Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain in January and had an approach for Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho knocked back that month, have prioritised adding creativity to their squad this summer. Napoli have won two of the last three Serie A titles, with this season's success propelled by former Premier League players Romelu Lukaku and Scott McTominay. The Athletic previously reported Chicago Fire were one of four MLS teams — alongside Inter Miami, NYCFC and D.C. United — to have expressed interest in recruiting De Bruyne. De Bruyne's MLS discovery rights, which are held by Miami, would not have been a barrier for another team to sign him. De Bruyne did engage in discussions with Miami, but the club's three designated player spots are already occupied by Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. He has in the past also been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and previously said he would be 'open to everything' whenever the next step in his career came, including remaining in the Premier League. Kevin is proud to be one of us! ✨ 💙 #ProudToBeNapoli | #ForzaNapoliSempre | #WelcomeKevin — Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) June 12, 2025 De Bruyne joined City from Wolfsburg in 2015 and has helped them win six Premier League titles, as well as their maiden Champions League in 2023. The Belgian made 422 appearances for City, registering 108 goals and 177 assists. He was twice named Premier League player of the season, in 2019-20 and 2021-22, a feat only matched by three other players in the competition's history: Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic. City confirmed last month they are planning to build a statue in De Bruyne's honour outside their Etihad Stadium. Analysis by Sam Lee There is an argument for De Bruyne being City's best-ever player as well as the best Premier League player. If any player of the most recent era is going to get a statue outside the Etihad to go alongside Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany, it would be him. But this is also the right decision for both him and City, because it has become clear over the past couple of months that he is no longer the player that he used to be. Advertisement The story of that should only endear him more to City fans: he played the final months of the 2022-23 season with a hamstring on the verge of rupturing, but he battled through anyway to help the team. They won the treble, his hamstring giving way in the Champions League final. It went again a couple of months later and it seems that it has changed him for good; the effort is still there, but the quality not so. It has got to the stage now that he is not starting matches and nobody queries it, but that will not be his legacy by any means. It is only because his passing ability is so good that his assists will be remembered slightly more than his goals, but he scored some belters and some vitally important ones. He arguably scored the goal that kick-started the Guardiola era, slamming home with his left foot to seal a 1-0 victory at defending champions Chelsea in September 2017, a game that gave City belief that their new brand of football could be successful. Eight years down the line City have won everything, and De Bruyne has been integral to it all.
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
The Paris Games flame rises again — but it's no longer ‘Olympic'
PARIS (AP) — The Paris Games may be over, but the flame is still rising — just don't call it Olympic. The helium-powered hot-air balloon that lit up the French capital's skyline during the 2024 Games is making a dramatic comeback to the Tuileries Gardens, reborn as the 'Paris Cauldron.' Thanks to an agreement with the International Olympic Committee, the renamed marvel will now lift off into the sky each summer evening — a ghostly echo of last year's opening ceremony — from June 21 to Sept. 14, for the next three years. Gone is the official 'Olympic' branding — forbidden under IOC reuse rules — but not the spectacle. The 30-meter-tall (98-foot) floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy giant EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets, and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. 'It's one of those monuments in Paris that could stay,' said Laurent Broéze, a local architect pausing in the gardens Thursday. 'It was set up temporarily, but a bit like the Eiffel Tower, it makes sense for it to return. It's a bit of a shame they want to take it down later, but maybe it could be installed somewhere else, I don't know.' Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron's original aluminum-and-balloon build was only meant to be temporary — not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it: The aluminum ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun, and temperature changes over several seasons. Aérophile, Paris's tethered balloon specialist, redesigned the winch and tether system to meet aviation rules, allowing safe operation in winds up to 20–25 kmh (12-15 mph). Hydraulic, electrical, and misting systems were fortified — not only to ensure smooth nightly flights but to endure months of wear and tear untested on the original design. These retrofits shift the cauldron from a fragile, one-off spectacle to a resilient, summer-long landmark — prepared to withstand everything Paris summers can throw at it. The structure first dazzled during the Paris 2024 Games, ignited on July 26 by Olympic champions Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now perched in the center of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Visitors have already begun to gather. 'Beautiful,' said Javier Smith, a tourist from Texas. 'And the place where it's going to be, or is sitting now, it's beautiful. All these beautiful buildings, the Louvre, all that is fantastic.' Access is free and unticketed. The cauldron will be on display from morning to night, igniting with light from 10 a.m. and lifting off each evening after the garden closes — 10:30 pm in June and July, with earlier times through September. It will float above the city for several hours before quietly descending around 1 a.m. The 'flame,' while entirely electric, still conjures a sense of Olympic poetry. 'Yes, we came for a little outing focused on the statues related to mythology in the Tuileries Garden,' said Chloé Solana, a teacher visiting with her students. 'But it's true we're also taking advantage of the opportunity, because last week the Olympic cauldron wasn't here yet, so it was really nice to be able to show it to the students.' The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the one-year anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. It no longer carries the Olympic name. But this phoenix-like cauldron is still lifting Paris into the clouds — and into memory. ___ Nicolas Garriga in Paris contributed to this report
