The Injury That Shakes Barça

Another victim of the FIFA virus. FC Barcelona confirmed on Tuesday that Robert Lewandowski has suffered a muscle tear in his left hamstring, an injury expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks. The club’s medical report states that “he’s unavailable and his recovery will depend on how the injury evolves,” though there’s optimism within the team and the player himself that he could return in a month.

The setback comes during the international break, right after Poland’s World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, where the Barça striker scored but ended the match with discomfort. At 37 years old, the injury is a blow to his effort to re-establish himself in the starting lineup, where Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford have been more prominent early in the season.

The Matches He’ll Miss

Lewandowski’s injury rules him out completely for El Clásico on October 26 at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid, as well as for upcoming LaLiga and European fixtures. In total, he could miss six to eight matches, depending on his recovery progress.

Barça now faces a concerning injury list, with Marc-André ter Stegen, Gavi, Joan García, and Dani Olmo also sidelined. The team finds itself depleted just as one of the toughest stretches of the season approaches.

Flick Looks for Attacking Solutions

Without his main striker, Hansi Flick must rethink his attack. For now, he only has Marcus Rashford, Ferran Torres — who returned with a minor muscle issue — and the young Roony Bardghji as natural attacking options.

Adding to the uncertainty, Raphinha has yet to rejoin full training, although Lamine Yamal seems ready to return against Girona. Dani Olmo will remain out for another two to three weeks, but Fermín López is back and available. The German coach will need to shuffle his options quickly if he doesn’t want the absence of his No. 9 to be felt too heavily.