Jules Kounde 'dropped' from Barcelona's win over Alaves after disciplinary breach | OneFootball

Jules Kounde did not earn a spot in Hansi Flick's starting lineup to face Deportivo Alaves on Sunday after failing to arrive on time for a pre-game meeting, a report has claimed.

The Frenchman has been a regular in Flick's successful La Liga side, starting all of the Catalan giants' fixtures so far this season. His name did not appear, however, in the starting lineup for their 3-0 win over Alaves, with Hector Fort handed the right-back spot in his place.

While some theorised that this was simply to rest the player, SPORT state that his omission was actually a punishment for his tardiness.

The report claims Kounde arrived late to a pre-game meeting and therefore faced disciplinary action on matchday. New boss Flick has remained clear on his expectations in the dressing room and appears unafraid of punishing players when they do not follow his rules.

Flick, however, refused to reveal any details of the incident and claimed Kounde's absence was simply because "he is resting".

Despite the absence of Kounde, Barca cruised to victory over Alaves thanks to a swift hat-trick from Robert Lewandowski. Their win sees them remain at the top of the La Liga table, three points clear of rivals and reigning champions Real Madrid.

Barcelona are set to return to action after the international break on 20 October when they face Sevilla at home, just three days before their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.