The past few weeks have been a nightmare for Barcelona. Not only have the results been disappointing—particularly the losses to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League and Sevilla in La Liga—but they’ve also been hit with a wave of injuries to key players, including Robert Lewandowski.
Lewandowski suffered a muscle tear in his left hamstring during Poland’s match against Lithuania in the World Cup qualifiers, which will sideline him for an estimated month. That rules him out of Barcelona’s upcoming games, including El Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday, October 26.
With that scenario, it was crucial for head coach Hansi Flick to have Ferran Torres fit—he’s the other player in the squad who typically fills in at center forward when Robert Lewandowski is out. However, the opposite has happened.
“First team player Ferran Torres will miss tomorrow’s match against Girona as a precaution, due to discomfort stemming from the hamstring overload in his left leg, sustained during the international break,” Barcelona announced Friday in a post on social media.
Torres was part of Luis de la Fuente’s squad for Spain’s World Cup qualifiers. He started last Saturday’s match against Georgia and played all 90 minutes in the 2–0 win. However, the physical discomfort he suffered kept him off the bench for Tuesday’s game against Bulgaria, and the same will be true in La Liga.
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Barcelona’s injury list
Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres are just two of several injured players currently sidelined at Barcelona. What’s particularly notable about the situation is that most of these injuries occurred while the players were away with their national teams—not while training or playing with the club.
Lamine Yamal is the most prominent example, not only because of the importance the young winger holds for Barcelona, but also because the injury he sustained in September while playing with Spain triggered a public dispute between coaches Luis de la Fuente and Hansi Flick. After a short return that included a couple of appearances in La Liga and the Champions League, Yamal began experiencing physical discomfort again and is now working to recover in time for the match against Real Madrid.
Another player injured while on duty with Spain is Dani Olmo, who suffered a soleus muscle injury in his left leg and is currently unavailable. The most recent name added to Barcelona’s injury list—and another who won’t be available against Real Madrid—is Joan Garcia, who’s dealing with a meniscus problem in his left knee.
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Barcelona’s upcoming schedule
Barcelona’s next match is against Girona in La Liga this Saturday. Three days later, they’ll host Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League, looking to bounce back from the loss to PSG. Then, on Sunday, October 26, they’ll play their biggest game of the season so far—against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
