Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is set to return to action in Thursday’s La Liga clash at Espanyol, manager Hansi Flick said, as his side prepares to wrap up the title this week.
A victory in its city derby against Espanyol would clinch the championship for the Catalans. Barcelona, now seven points clear at the top with 82 points, could win the title as early as Wednesday if Real Madrid fails to win at Mallorca.
The Polish striker missed Barca’s last three league games and was also absent from its 3-2 Copa del Rey final win over Real Madrid on April 27 due to a muscle injury.
The 36-year-old has scored 25 goals in 31 league games, two behind Kylian Mbappe in the La Liga Golden Boot race, with both having played the same number of matches.
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“Lewandowski is doing good and of course he is ready to play,” Flick told reporters on Wednesday.
Lewandowski featured for only 30 minutes in Barca’s Champions League semifinal second leg defeat to Inter Milan last week and missed his side’s 4-3 home win against Real Madrid on Sunday.
After its last Clasico win, Barcelona has defeated Real in all four encounters this season across all competitions, and Flick hailed his team’s performance as a source of immense pride.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Asked about Real manager Carlo Ancelotti joining the Brazil national team at the end of the season, Flick, who coached Germany from 2021 to 2023, said: “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.”