Robert Lewandowski Will Miss El Clasico As Injury List Grows

Key striker Robert Lewandowski could miss out on the El Clásico later this month due to a hamstring injury.

The 37-year-old will be missing Barcelona’s next meeting against Girona as they push to claim the top spot in the league over bitter rivals Real Madrid.

What We Know

The veteran striker has suffered a muscle tear in the femoral bicep of his left leg, and a recovery time has not been confirmed. However, Spanish media suggest that it could be up to four weeks. Lewandowski returned to training on Tuesday at the Ciutat Esportiva, where he underwent medical tests after experiencing physical discomfort after Poland’s 2-0 win over Lithuania on Sunday.

Lewandowski joins a long list of injuries for Barcelona this season, joining the likes of Gavi, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Joan Garcia, as the star-studded team suffers the consequences early on in the season. Although a triple injury boost will follow their game against Girona, as Raphinha, Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal are set to return after the international break.

“Robert Lewandowski has suffered a hamstring injury in his left thigh. He will be sidelined, and his recovery time will depend on how the injury progresses.”

What Does This Mean?

Moving forward, the Polish striker will be sidelined for up to four weeks, missing out on the El Clásico. It also comes with a bad taste in his mouth as he already lost out on his first team start to Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford, who have been more prominent this season. With four goals in seven games, Lewandowski is still a player to rely on at the top level.

Not only will the Pole lose out on one of the biggest matches of the season, but he will also miss another six to eight matches over the course of his injury. Hansi Flick must now look at other attacking options with his depleted squad, with another injury scare coming during the international break when Ferran Torres was ruled out of his game against Bulgaria, but was ruled out with a more serious injury.

Writers View

Although the loss of a key number nine will cause discontent as the injury list keeps flowing, the loss of Lewandowski will not be felt too badly by the German manager, with his preferred options still available and key players returning. However, questions have to be raised: are the injuries due to the “FIFA virus” or are they due to what is happening at the training ground? With Flick having similar criticism during his tenure at Bayern, after a successful campaign last season, fans will hope to continue this streak of form despite the setbacks they have faced thus far.