Barcelona Midfielder Unlikely To Return Vs Athletic Club, Robert Lewandowski Could Come Back
After seeing off the threat of Valencia thanks to a Raphinha goal, Barcelona now turn their focus to the next challenge in their bid to win the La Liga title.
Having now built up a nine-point lead over Real Madrid, Barcelona will now look to protect or possibly further extend their advantage when they take on Athletic Club at San Mames next Sunday.
A visit to the Basque club can always be a tricky affair, especially with the Blaugrana likely missing some important players for the match.
Indeed, defensive mainstay Ronald Araujo is ruled out of the contest due to suspension after being sent off against Valencia last evening.
Meanwhile, doubts persist over the involvement of Ousmane Dembele as the Barcelona staff continue to be wary of taking risks with the Frenchman’s recovery.
Now, Adria Albets has provided an update on the conditions of two other Barcelona players who are currently out on the treatment tables in the form of Pedri and Robert Lewandowski.
Pedri sustained an injury during the first leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff tie against Manchester United and has since missed five games across all competitions.
As per the aforementioned report, the 20-year-old midfielder is still not feeling good and his return for the match against Athletic Club seems under doubt.
Things are looking better with Lewandowski, though. The striker, who suffered an injury during the shock loss to UD Almeria a week ago, is keen to return against Athletic Club and within the club, they believe that it is a possibility as his condition is looking good.
Lewandowski might have seen a dip in form post the World Cup break, but he remains extremely vital to Barcelona’s scheme and his potential return will be a boost ahead of important fixtures against the likes of Athletic Club and Real Madrid.
As for Pedri and Dembele, even if they do not return this weekend, the idea would be to have them ready for the Clasico at Camp Nou on March 19.
