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Barcelona fans were left in dismay as key players Memphis Depay and Jules Kounde were injured while on international duty for the UEFA Nations League.
Kounde and Depay were both forced to come off in their respective games for France and the Netherlands on Thursday (September 22).
Kounde started in France's defense along with Raphael Varane and Benoit Badiashile. However, the former Sevilla defender had to be withdrawn in the 23rd minute of their clash against Austria. Arsenal's William Saliba was brought on as the replacement by Didier Deschamps.
Depay, meanwhile, started for the Netherlands against Poland. That said, the former Manchester United No. 7 was forced off the field in the 52nd minute of the game. Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Vincent Janssen came on in place of the Dutch No. 10.
Barcelona fans were agitated to see two of their key players suffering injuries. They blasted UEFA for the governing body's decision to host Nations League games amidst a packed schedule of club football.
Calls to ban the UEFA Nations League were raised by Culers on Twitter. Some even went a step further to claim that this was black magic at work from Real Madrid. The black magic reference has been famous since Zinedine Zidane's first tenure as Los Blancos manager.
Nevertheless, here are some of the best reactions across Twitter regarding the two Blaugrana players getting injured:
Kounde has been instrumental for Xavi Hernandez's team so far this season. He has made five appearances for the Catalan club and provided three assists across competitions.
While Depay's involvement has been scarcer, the Dutchman scored a stunning goal against Elche this past weekend in what was his second start of the season.
Spanish legend David Villa heaps praise on Barcelona attacker
Barcelona played a masterstroke in the transfer market during the summer window, when the club landed Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich for a fee of €45 million.
The player has been absolutely top notch for the Catalan club since making his debut. In eight games so far this season, the No. 9 has bagged 11 goals and provided two assists.
Former Barcelona striker David Villa noted that a player of the Pole's quality would provide output even when he is aclimatizing to new surroundings. While talking to Cadena Ser, here's what the former Spain striker stated:
"He is one of the best strikers in recent years. Adaptation is always mandatory, but a talent like him could play anywhere."
"He has so much talent and experience that, regardless of how long the adaptation process lasted, he was going to do it fine."
The Blaugrana will return to action on October 1 away against Mallorca.
