Barcelona suffered a major blow ahead of their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Atlético Madrid, with confirmation that their Polish striker, Robert Lewandowski, will miss the crucial match.
The 37-year-old will be absent from the decisive encounter, in which the Catalan side will attempt to overturn a heavy 4-0 first-leg deficit,a daunting task requiring a historic comeback at the Camp Nou.
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Official Statement from Barcelona
The club explained in an official statement that medical tests confirmed the player suffered a fracture of the bone inside his left eye socket, following the injury he sustained during the recent match against Villarreal.
The injury occurred in the 88th minute after a heavy collision with Villarreal defender Pau Navarro, when Lewandowski’s face struck the defender’s shoulder during a challenge for the ball. Despite experiencing sharp pain around his eye, he completed the match and managed to score the fourth goal into an empty net after a pass from Jules Koundé.
Attacking Crisis Before the Decisive Match
Lewandowski’s absence is a significant blow for coach Hansi Flick, especially given the list of absentees, which includes Eric García due to suspension, along with Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen, and Gavi due to injury.
This leaves the coaching staff with only one attacking option: Ferran Torres. This makes the task even more difficult against Atlético in a match that requires scoring a large number of goals to overturn the deficit and reach the final.
Barcelona enters the match under immense pressure on a night that could define their domestic season, amidst technical challenges and injuries that have struck the team’s attacking core at a crucial time.
