BARCELONA, Oct 30 — Barcelona confirmed mild injury problems for Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia today, with the issues unlikely to keep the players out for long ahead of the World Cup.

Both centre-backs were taken off during the club’s 1-0 win at Valencia yesterday in La Liga, leaving their national teams France and Spain waiting for an update.

French defender Kounde said after the game his hamstring issue felt like a muscular "overload” rather than a strain or tear, and Barcelona said today in a statement that this was the case.

Spanish international Garcia’s groin injury, meanwhile, is also considered a muscular overload.

The duo are likely to miss Barcelona’s dead rubber Champions League fixture at Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday. — AFP