Barcelona are currently without the services of Jules Kounde, who’s been out since the start of March with a hamstring injury. However, the hope is that he will be back soon, and the ongoing international break presents an opportunity for him to return before the Catalans are back in action.
Earlier in the week, Kounde was speaking to the media channels for Kings League (via Cadena SER), the competition run by ex-Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. He has a team involved in the league, and during one of the streams, he was asked about his favourite player among his club teammates, and his answer was rather telling.
“Pedri is my favourite player. He’s absolutely brilliant. Honestly, he’s one of those players who operates on another level; even what he does in training and everything else. Actually, it’s his innate technique, with the right foot and with the left he can pivot to the right or left, he has an incredible vision of the game.”
Kounde: Pedri’s defensive work is underappreciated
Kounde believes that a lot of people underrate Pedri – in particular, he believes that the Barcelona midfielder’s defensive ability is often overlooked.
“There is also a very underestimated aspect about him, which I think doesn’t stand out enough: his defensive work. Pedri is a player who constantly runs and recovers the ball… Last year, he was the player who recovered the most balls in Europe. He covers about 12km per game and, at the same time, he has to regain possession, move the team forward, distribute the ball and break the rival defensive lines. He is absolutely brilliant.”
Pedri is undoubtedly one of the best players in the Barcelona squad, and whenever he isn’t playing, his absence is often felt. Kounde, like the Catalan club’s supporters, will be hoping that the 23-year-old manages to stay fit between now and the end of the season.
