Lewandowski to miss Real Madrid, Inter clashes due to injury

Barcelona confirmed on Sunday that Robert Lewandowski has sustained a semitendinosus injury, with reports informing that he will be ruled out for the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid and Inter, respectively.

Robert Lewandowski was forced off with an injury in the closing stages of Barcelona’s 4-3 win against Celta Vigo on Saturday, setting off alarm bells with a crucial end of the season coming up for his side.

Head coach Hansi Flick had revealed after the match that the Polish striker would undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage. But the results did not bring good news for the Germany international.

“Tests carried out on Sunday have confirmed that first-team player Robert Lewandowski has a left semitendinosus injury. His return will be determined by his progress,” reads a statement from the Catalan side.

While the ‘Blaugrana’ have not disclosed recovery timings, reports from Spain inform that the 36-year-old is set to be ruled out for at least three weeks, missing out on various games between domestic and European action.

Lewandowski will be unavailable for Tuesday’s La Liga fixture against Mallorca and then the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid on April 26. Not only that, but he will also sit out both legs of Barca’s Champions League quarter-final tie against Inter Milan on April 30 and May 6.

Barca’s top scorer with 40 goals across all competitions is expected to return in time for the league ‘Clasico’ against ‘Los Blancos’ on May 11, but in the meantime, Spaniard Ferran Torres is set to fill in over the next few weeks.

Barcelona, who won the Spanish Super Cup in January, are chasing a potential quadruple and are in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2019. As well as Torres, Flick has also experimented with Dani Olmo operating as a false nine.