La Blaugrana boss Hansi Flick has provided an important injury update ahead of tomorrow’s highly anticipated El Clasico LaLiga match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The German tactician revealed that two of Barcelona’s key players, Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde, are unlikely to start the match.
Lewandowski and Balde have both been an integral part of a dominant Barcelona side this season. The former currently leads the race for the Pichichi while the latter has also had a strong season, making 43 appearances and starting 39 of them.
The Polish striker picked up an injury during a league match against Celta Vigo in April and sat out four games for the Catalan club. He returned to action as a substitute in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals against Inter Milan on Tuesday.
Balde has been out of action since April and has sat out seven games. In what was music to the ears of La Blaugrana faithful, the left-back was declared fit alongside Marc Casado some hours ago. It was added that the duo are available for selection by Flick for the match against Real Madrid.
Speaking to the media in the pre-match press conference, Flick said (via Fabrizio Romano):
Flick added that ‘Szczesny would start in goal despite Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s return from injury.
Barcelona suffered a heartbreak on Tuesday as they exited the Champions League after losing to Inter Milan in San Siro. Ahead of tomorrow’s game, Flick admitted that the loss to the Serie A giants hurt but urged his side to display confidence in the remaining league games.
The Barca boss said (via Barca Universal):
He added:
Barcelona leads Real Madrid by four points at the top of the league table after 34 matches. Tomorrow’s match will make it the fourth time that the two sides have faced each other this season.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel’s journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles’ fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium’s incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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