The Barcelona duo sustained injuries during the 1-0 win over Leganes
Barcelona will be without key players Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde for their Champions League semi-final first leg against Inter Milan on Wednesday.
Lewandowski suffered a thigh injury during the match against Leganes earlier in April and his return is uncertain. The striker watched from the stands in Barcelona’s 3-2 Copa del Rey final win over Real Madrid. There are some hopes, however, that he can be available for the next El Clasico later in May.
In Lewandowski’s absence, Barcelona will rely on Ferran Torres to lead the attack against Inter.
Balde sustained a hamstring injury in the same match against Leganes and has not returned to full training. While there’s a slim chance the left-back might be on the bench, head coach Hansi Flick is exercising caution to prevent aggravating the injury, especially as Balde underwent surgery for a similar problem last season.
Despite these setbacks, Barcelona remain focused on their treble pursuit, having already secured the Copa del Rey and leading La Liga with four points. The upcoming tie against Inter Milan promises to be a challenging encounter, although the Nerazzurri are in particularly poor form of late, having exited the Coppa Italia in an embarrassing fashion against rivals AC Milan, and fallen behind in the Serie A title race to Napoli.
The first leg of the semi-final will take place at Barcelona’s temporary home, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, with the return leg to be played at the San Siro.
