Robert Lewandowski injury: Progress & potential return date for Barcelona star
"Lewandowski is a blessing," Xavi Hernandez gushed after three months of working with Barcelona's "guarantee of goals".
However, Xavi's side has been a little less holy since Robert Lewandowski flagged a fitness concern after drawing a rare blank in Barcelona's defeat to Almeria last weekend.
The 34-year-old was forced to sit out Thursday's Clasico in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, watching on as Barcelona did their best impression of Real Madrid to grind out a 1-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Xavi conceded: "We can’t brag about how we played," but when will the coach be able to boast Lewandowski in his starting lineup again?
What injury did Robert Lewandowski get against Almeria?
Barcelona are not a loquacious club when it comes to detailing any injuries. The Catalan giants cautiously revealed Lewandowski had suffered "an overload in the biceps femoris of the left hamstring".
The manic detail Lewandowski devotes to the upkeep of his fitness is legendary. On the advice of a sleep expert, Poland's all-time top scorer only sleeps on his left side to preserve his favoured right leg - that habit may have to be tweaked given his current injury affects the left leg.
Lewandowski famously eats his dessert first as it digests quicker before tackling the starter and then the main course. Lewandowski's wife Anna is a nutritionist who launched her own health food brand 'Foods by Ann'.
Not that there's any suggestion that Robert would need persuading, but Anna certainly has an intimidating skill set alongside her academic background having represented her country in international karate championships.
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What Barcelona games could Robert Lewandowski miss?
Barcelona upheld their opaque reputation by offering the desperately vague update that Lewandowski "is out and his evolution will determine his availability".
The Pole already sat out Barcelona's trip to the Bernabeu and is all but certain to miss Valencia's visit to Camp Nou on Sunday afternoon. The preliminary estimates suggest Lewandowski will be out for two weeks after the initial injury.
On this hardly certain timescale, Barcelona's number nine could be available for the trip to San Mames to face Athletic Club on Sunday 13 March - although, Xavi may be reluctant to risk his chief goal threat given the fixtures that loom in Barcelona's diary.
- Barcelona dealt huge injury blow ahead of Copa del Rey clash with Real Madrid
- Why Xavi won't be on the touchline for Barcelona vs Valencia
- Oscar Hernandez & Sergio Alegre: The assistant managers at Barcelona who will face Valencia without Xavi
Barcelona's upcoming fixture list
Despite last weekend's defeat to Almeria - compounded by the injury to Lewandowski - Barcelona's lead at La Liga's summit remains a yawning seven points. Relegation-threatened Valencia travel to Catalonia on Sunday buoyed by their first league victory since November but still have to be considered considerable underdogs.
After a free week, Barcelona make their way into the Basque Country to face Athletic next weekend. The presence of former Blaugrana manager Ernesto Valverde in Athletic's dugout is just one more layer piled on top of a rivalry stoked by the vicious clashes between these clubs in the 1980s.
But the big one lies in wait on Sunday 19 March as Barcelona host Real Madrid in La Liga for their final match before the international break. This may well be the first game Lewandowski starts on his return from injury as La Liga's familiar top two duke out a mouthwatering match which could effectively end the title race or set it ablaze.