Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is poised to return to action in Thursday’s high-stakes LaLiga clash against city rivals Espanyol, manager Hansi Flick confirmed on Wednesday. The Polish forward has been sidelined with a muscle injury but is now fit and ready to feature as the Catalan giants prepare to secure the league title.
A win in the derby at Espanyol would crown Barcelona LaLiga champions, with the team currently sitting seven points clear at the top of the table with 82 points. Depending on Real Madrid’s result against Mallorca on Wednesday, Barcelona could potentially clinch the title even before kickoff.
Lewandowski, who missed Barca’s last three league matches and was also absent from their 3-2 Copa del Rey final victory over Real Madrid on April 27, has scored 25 goals in 31 LaLiga appearances this season. He trails Kylian Mbappe by just two goals in the race for the Golden Boot, with both players having played the same number of games.
“Lewandowski is doing good and of course he is ready to play,” Flick said in his pre-match press conference.
The 36-year-old made only a brief appearance—30 minutes—in Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final second-leg loss to Inter Milan last week and was unavailable for Sunday’s thrilling 4-3 home win against Real Madrid.
Flick praised his squad’s dominance over their arch-rivals this season, having completed a clean sweep over Real Madrid with four wins across all competitions.
“We played 24 minutes with no contact from Real in our half, so it has something to do with the pressing, it has something to do with the right structure we had,” Flick remarked. “How we started to press them when they had the ball was unbelievable. When I heard this stat I thought it’s really great… we can be very proud of that. I’m happy for the fans, for the club, because I know that’s very important for them.”
When asked about Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti’s upcoming move to manage Brazil’s national team at the end of the season, Flick was full of praise for his counterpart.
“I think he (Ancelotti) did a fantastic job in Madrid. He’s a gentleman and one of the best and most successful coaches in the world. I wish him all the best for his new job. I think he will find a great team there, and he can follow success there.”
With Lewandowski back in the lineup and the title within touching distance, Barcelona head into the Espanyol clash with high morale and historic stakes. A win on Thursday would not only seal the championship but also cap off a dominant domestic season under Flick’s leadership.
