Barcelona suffers another blow as Lewandowski tears his left thigh biceps muscle, ruled out of the El Clásico

When it rains, it pours—this phrase perfectly describes Barcelona’s current situation. Official news from the club confirms that Lewandowski has sustained a tear in the left thigh biceps muscle, with recovery time depending on the severity of the injury. According to follow-up reports from Spain’s Mundo Deportivo, Lewandowski is expected to be sidelined for 4 to 6 weeks, which means he will definitely miss the Spanish El Clásico scheduled for the end of this month.

Before the October international break, Barcelona suffered back-to-back defeats across competitions. This weekend, they face Girona at home in La Liga, followed by a Champions League home game against Olympiacos midweek, and then the Spanish El Clásico away at Real Madrid next weekend—a match that will heavily influence the La Liga title race this season. Lewandowski is expected to return only after the November international break, meaning Barcelona will face the tough away clash at Madrid without him, which is a relatively manageable schedule during his absence.

At 37 years old, Lewandowski’s form this season has noticeably declined. He has appeared 7 times in La Liga, starting 3 matches and totaling 343 minutes on the pitch, scoring 4 goals. In the Champions League, he has played twice, starting once and accumulating 88 minutes without contributing any goals. Journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Lewandowski will likely leave on a free transfer next summer after this season, as Barcelona will not renew his contract. Fortunately, Barcelona loaned Manchester United forward Rashford during this summer’s transfer window. The English attacker, capable of playing both on the left and centrally, is expected to be deployed as a striker by coach Flick during Lewandowski’s injury period, enhancing Barcelona’s front-line mobility and counterattack speed.