Barcelona are waiting anxiously on the recovery of Robert Lewandowski after the veteran striker sustained a fresh injury blow in the lead-up to the new season.
The Poland captain, now 36, produced his most impressive numbers since joining the club last year, netting 27 times in La Liga and scoring 42 goals in all competitions. His form was instrumental as Barcelona claimed a domestic treble.
Lewandowski missed the closing weeks of the previous campaign due to injury and opted out of international duty with Poland in June as a precaution, aiming to be fully fit for the new season.
Ruled out of preseason finale and season opener
Barcelona confirmed the striker has suffered a muscle injury ahead of their final preseason match against Como in the Joan Gamper Trophy. Club sources and earlier reports indicate he will not play against the Italian side and will also be unavailable for the opening La Liga clash at Mallorca on August 16.
The Catalan side are also dealing with other attacking issues. Ferran Torres is currently sidelined, while Marcus Rashford, signed earlier this summer, cannot yet be registered for league action due to a dispute over salary cap space linked to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s injury absence.
Recovery estimates and upcoming international commitments
According to information from Diario AS, Lewandowski’s recovery is expected to take between two and three weeks. If that timeline holds, he would also be absent for the August 23 trip to Levante. Barcelona’s first three matches of the 2025/26 season are all scheduled away from home, with the club planning to return to the redeveloped Camp Nou in September. This schedule could lead to Lewandowski being rested again for the August 31 visit to Rayo Vallecano, even if he is declared fit.
On the international front, Lewandowski is eyeing a return to Poland duty in early September following talks with new head coach Jan Urban. He intends to feature in two key 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers — against the Netherlands in Rotterdam on September 4 and at home to Finland on September 7. Poland won two qualifiers in March with him in the squad but lost 2-1 to Finland in June during his short-term break from the national team.
