Early in the morning in Spain, FC Barcelona officially announced the list of players who will travel to Milan in hopes of reaching a Champions League final for the first time in 10 years against Inter. The list, however, included all kinds of surprises that likely brought both joy and disappointment in equal measure. On one hand, Robert Lewandowski was included in a squad that, in the end, will not feature Alejandro Balde.

Lewandowski won’t play unless absolutely necessary

The recovery of Robert Lewandowski has been nothing short of a miracle—especially considering he’s a player who will turn 37 this coming August 21. The Polish striker had to be substituted in the second half of the match against Celta on April 19 due to a muscle injury in the back of his leg, which forced him to miss both the Copa del Rey final and the first leg against Inter Milan.

Over the past two weeks, Robert Lewandowski has worked day and night with FC Barcelona's medical staff to be fit for the second leg. And although there had already been rumors that he might be available, his inclusion in the squad announced by Barcelona this morning came as the big surprise. However, the latest reports suggest it’s practically impossible for him to start the match, and he’ll only see minutes in case of absolute necessity.

Balde’s absence forces Flick to reshuffle Barcelona’s defense

Ultimately, Alejandro Balde won’t be traveling to Milan to face Inter, having suffered his injury a week before Robert Lewandowski. Specifically, on April 12 against Leganés. In his case, FC Barcelona did issue a medical statement estimating a recovery period of about three weeks. However, Balde’s recovery has not gone as expected, and he will be unable to help his teammates in their quest to qualify for the Champions League final.

Without a doubt, Balde’s absence from the squad is a major setback for Hansi Flick, who also won't be able to count on either of his two starting fullbacks, as Jules Koundé was injured in the first leg. Eric García is expected to replace the French defender. Still, Flick has doubts about who will replace Balde… although Gerard Martín’s start against Valladolid could be a hint. In fact, it’s quite likely that Iñigo Martínez will start at left back, with Ronald Araujo and Cubarsí pairing up in central defense.