Khaberni - Barcelona received a heavy blow before facing its traditional rival Real Madrid in El Clásico, after it was confirmed that their Polish striker Robert Lewandowski would miss the game due to a muscle injury sustained while participating with his national team.
Spanish media reports mention that the Catalan club's management is displeased with the player's decision to continue playing despite feeling discomfort during Poland's match against Lithuania in the international break, which led to the aggravation of the injury and his exclusion from the field for up to four weeks.
37-year-old Lewandowski returned to Barcelona suffering from a "muscle tear in the left thigh".
According to reports, the player felt pain during the first half of the match but insisted on completing it, even scoring a goal for his national team before his condition worsened.
Barcelona's management decided to exclude him temporarily until he fully recovers, which means his confirmed absence from El Clásico against Real Madrid, in addition to a number of league and Champions League matches.
According to "Marca" newspaper, both the technical and medical staff at Barcelona were very annoyed by Lewandowski's behavior, which did not show the caution expected from a player of his experience.
Club officials believe that he should have requested a substitution immediately upon feeling the pain to avoid aggravating the injury.
Coach Hansi Flick faces a new crisis due to the recurrence of injuries in the team during international breaks, which is mediatically known as the "FIFA virus".
Barcelona had previously lost players like Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres due to similar injuries during their participations with their national teams.
Lewandowski is expected to miss 6 important matches including encounters against Girona and Olympiacos, in addition to El Clásico.
Flick is likely to rely on Ferran Torres or Marcus Rashford (upon Raphinha’s return) to fill the void in the attacking line.
This absence comes at a crucial time as the club discusses renewing Lewandowski's contract amid growing concerns about his recurring muscle injuries and his ability to continue performing at the same physical level.
