Barcelona got hit by a massive blow after losing the top scorer Robert Lewandowski due to an injury. The Catalans have confirmed that the striker is out with a hamstring strain following Sunday's shock defeat to Almeria. Lewandowski will miss Thursday's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu and joins Pedri and Ousmane Dembele on the injury list. There's no word from Barcelona as to how much time Lewandowski will miss, but early reports reckon he's out for at least two weeks. Clearly, he will miss the 1st Leg of Copa Del Rey.
Reports say, he'll undergo further tests but the current thinking is that he'll sit out the games against Madrid, Valencia, and Athletic Club. If the report is correct then Lewandowski will be back in time for the league Clasico against Los Blancos on March 19 at Camp Nou.
MEDICAL NEWS | First team player Robert Lewandowski has a left hamstring strain. He is out and his recovery will determine his availability. pic.twitter.com/AmxWJ38B0O
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 27, 2023
Copa del Rey: Lewandowski, Pedri & Dembele's Injuries
Lewandowski's injury comes at a really bad time for Barcelona, with Xavi's side having suffered consecutive defeats to Manchester United and Almeria. Pedri is also out for the upcoming matches as he suffered an injury during the first leg against Manchester United.
Ousmane Dembele sustained an injury against Girona on January 29 and has missed 6 games since the injury. On Saturday, Xavi Hernandez gave a statement and said that the Frenchman is back in training, but it remains to be seen when he will be ready to return. Dembele is going through the good form at the moment in Barcelona since he has scored 8 goals in 28 games in all competitions. Clearly, Barcelona is missing him as he has been one of the best players for Xavi.
Xavi is in deep trouble as he said that the Europa League is not his prime priority. Now, Barcelona has to perform well in the Domestic league and the cup competitions otherwise the criticism will be heavy.