16 October 2025
Barcelona suffered a major blow ahead of their clash with arch-rivals Real Madrid in El Clásico, with Polish striker Robert Lewandowski confirmed to miss the game due to a muscle injury he sustained while playing for his country.
Spanish press reports indicated that the Catalan club's management was dissatisfied with the player's decision to continue playing despite experiencing discomfort during Poland's match against Lithuania during the international break. This exacerbated the injury, ruling him out for up to four weeks.
The 37-year-old Lewandowski returned to Barcelona suffering from a "muscle tear in his left thigh."
According to reports, the player felt pain during the first half of the match but insisted on completing the match and even scored a goal for his country before his condition worsened.
Barcelona's management decided to temporarily exclude him until he fully recovers, which means he will definitely miss El Clásico against Real Madrid, as well as several league and Champions League matches.
According to Marca, Barcelona's technical and medical staff expressed deep concern over Lewandowski's behavior, which showed a lack of caution for a player of his considerable experience.
Club officials believe he should have requested a substitution immediately after feeling pain to avoid aggravating the injury.
Coach Hansi Flick faces a new crisis due to the recurrence of injuries among the team during international breaks, known in the media as the "FIFA virus."
Barcelona has previously lost players such as Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres to similar injuries while on international duty.
Lewandowski is expected to miss six important matches, including matches against Girona and Olympiacos, in addition to El Clásico.
Flick is likely to rely on Ferran Torres or Marcus Rashford (when Raphinha returns) to fill the gap in attack.
This absence comes at a very sensitive time, as the club is discussing Lewandowski's contract renewal amid growing concerns about his recurrence of muscle injuries and his ability to maintain his current fitness level.
