Barcelona announced in an official statement that Robert Lewandowski suffered an injury while playing for Poland in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, without revealing the expected length of his absence.
The 37-year-old played the entire match against Lithuania last Sunday, scoring in his country’s 2-0 victory. He felt no pain at the time, but the next day it became clear that Lewandowski was not feeling well.
According to Barcelona’s statement, Lewandowski’s injury was diagnosed as a torn quadriceps muscle. The Catalan club did not specify the severity of the tear, merely confirming that the player’s return to action depends on his speed of recovery.
On the other hand, the Polish press revealed that Lewandowski’s absence from Barcelona will be prolonged, and that the initial diagnosis of his injury indicates that he will need treatment and rest for at least a month and a half.
Lewandowski missed Barcelona’s start of the season due to the same injury, meaning the injury recurred in the same spot. Therefore, recovery will be more difficult and will require precision and patience to prevent it from worsening.
It is now certain that Lewandowski will not participate in El Clásico against Real Madrid on October 26 at the Santiago Bernabéu. He will also miss Poland’s crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against the Netherlands and Malta during the November break.
Lewandowski’s injury adds to Barcelona’s problems in El Clásico. His absence adds to the already confirmed absence of Gavi and Juan Garcia, while the fates of Lamine Yamal and Fermin López remain uncertain, depending on the speed of their recovery from recent injuries.
