Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is a major doubt for next Sunday’s Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid after suffering a left hamstring injury during Saturday’s win over Celta Vigo.
Lewandowski sustained the injury towards the end of the second half of the game. The Pole went down and appeared to be holding the back of his left leg, before limping off the pitch to be replaced by Gavi.
The injury means Lewandowski is expected to miss Tuesday’s La Liga home game against Mallorca and is also a doubt for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Inter, which comes on April 30.
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick did not give many details about Lewandowski’s injury when speaking at a post-match news conference, saying, “We will have to wait and see”.
Barcelona posted a statement confirming the 36-year-old’s hamstring injury on Sunday and sources close to the club and player told The Athletic he is in a race to be fit for their crucial upcoming matches.
Lewandowski has been a key player for Barcelona this season, with his 25 La Liga goals a league high. Only team-mate Raphinha (12) and Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (13) have more than his 11 in the Champions League.
The Poland international joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in 2022 and has scored 99 times in 143 appearances.
Barcelona, meanwhile, came from 3-1 down at home against Celta to win 4-3, with Raphinha scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot in the eighth minute of second-half added time. That result saw them move seven points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who have one game in hand, with six La Liga fixtures remaining.
Flick’s side are heading into a crucial period of the season, with Tuesday’s visit of Mallorca followed by next Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Madrid. Then come the first and second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Inter, either side of the La Liga trip to Real Valladolid.
(Alex Grimm/Getty Images)