FC Barcelona will not be able to count on Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals against Inter Milan. Both are suffering from muscle injuries in their left leg which, in principle, will require around three weeks of rest.
In that sense, the full-back has more hope of reaching the return leg against the 'nerazzurri' team, as his injury occurred eight days before that of the '9'. Álex will complete the three weeks out next Saturday, while 'Lewy' has only been in the 'culé' infirmary for a week and a half.
🔴Lewandowski, without an estimated return date
Robert, the team's top scorer with 40 goals in 48 games and Pichichi in LaLiga with 25 goals, injured the semitendinosus muscle in his left thigh against Celta (4-3) and will be out for at least three weeks.
The injury prevented him from playing against Mallorca (LaLiga), the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid and the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Inter Milan. A week before the return leg at the Giuseppe Meazza, the '9' has a very difficult time receiving medical discharge for the trip to Italy.
And, for the moment, the striker continues to work apart from the group, without an estimated return date. This was Lewandowski's first muscle injury of the season, after 48 appearances (3,671 minutes) at a very high level.
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🟡Balde has more options to reappear in Milan
For his part, Alejandro Balde, one of the most regular and unbalanced full-backs in the team, suffered an injury to the biceps femoris of his left leg in the match against Leganés (0-1) and will also not be available for the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
The defender was unable to play the return leg against Dortmund (3-1) and was also out in La Liga against Celta and Mallorca, along with the Copa del Rey final. However, although he will not be in the squad for the match against Valladolid (Saturday), he has more options to reach the return leg of the 'semis' against the 'nerazzurri' team.
In any case, Hansi Flick will make a decision on the weekend, according to his evolution in the next training sessions. Both Balde and Lewandowski accompanied Barça on Saturday in La Cartuja, celebrating the victory against Real Madrid with the squad.
📌The impact of Lewandowski and Balde's absences on Barça
For Barça, the absence of their goalscorer and their left-back are two sensitive losses in the final stretch of the season:
Impact in attack:
- The absence of the Pole was already noticeable in the match against Mallorca, where Barça, despite dominating and generating chances, could only score one goal in almost 40 shots, evidencing the lack of a pure '9' and the difficulty in transforming chances into goals.
- Although Flick has alternatives such as Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, the team loses its main offensive reference and resolution capacity in the area, which can be decisive in even ties and finals.
- As for Balde, the full-back is the leader in assists among Barcelona defenders, with 10 goal passes in 43 games (3,291') in the season.
Impact in defense:
- Balde's absence deprives Barça of depth and verticality on the left wing, elements that Flick considers key to opening up closed defenses and providing width to the attack.
- Gerard Martín, his natural replacement, has shown solidity, but does not offer the same offensive projection or the ability to outwit Balde, which limits the tactical variants and the surprise on that side.
- In their last Champions League match, without Balde on the field, Barça conceded 3 goals and lost against Dortmund (3-1).
In that sense, both absences coincide with the most demanding phase of the calendar, where Barça is playing for the treble and each match has a decisive weight.
The pressure falls on players who must take a step forward to make up for the lack of goals and the reduced depth on the wing, with the risk that the lack of effectiveness and tactical resources will compromise the two main objectives of the season (La Liga and Champions League).