Barcelona in Crisis: El Clasico Injury Nightmare!

Barcelona are facing a mounting injury crisis at the worst possible time, just days before the crucial El Clasico showdown against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Manager Hansi Flick’s side are without eight key first-team players, with star striker Robert Lewandowski the latest casualty. The veteran forward suffered a torn thigh muscle while on international duty for Poland, adding to a growing list of absentees that now includes Dani Olmo, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha, Joan Garcia, and first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.​

These injuries now account for more than 30 percent of Barcelona’s senior squad, with the club experiencing up to 10 separate issues since August. The timing of this crisis couldn’t be worse, coming on the back of two straight defeats: a 2-1 loss to PSG in the Champions League and a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Sevilla in LaLiga before the international break.​

Long-term absentees Garcia, Ter Stegen, and Gavi are months away from returning after undergoing knee surgeries. Lewandowski and Dani Olmo are also set to miss El Clasico as they recover from thigh and calf problems, respectively. Raphinha’s comeback hopes have been hit by a setback, leaving him a doubt for the LaLiga showdown.​

There is some positive news for Barcelona: Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez have resumed training and could even feature as soon as this weekend against Girona. Both are making progress in their recoveries from groin injuries, but their match fitness for El Clasico is still uncertain.​

This wave of injuries leaves Barcelona severely depleted for El Clasico, with Flick set to rely on backups and academy products as the team enters one of the most important fixtures of the season. The club’s hopes will rest on quick recoveries and the resilience of the remaining squad members as they try to turn their fortunes around during a defining stretch of the campaign.​

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