Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick says striker Robert Lewandowski and full-back Alejandro Balde are not fit enough to start against Real Madrid in their La Liga clash on Sunday.
Lewandowski made his return after a four-match absence due to a hamstring injury as he played in extra time of Barcelona’s 4-3 (7-6 aggregate) Champions League semi-final defeat by Inter. Balde, meanwhile, has also missed Barcelona’s last seven matches with a hamstring issue.
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“I don’t think they are ready to play as starters yet,” Flick said at a news conference on Saturday. “Ferran Torres is doing really well as a nine, all players are. I think they are both ready to have minutes as the game goes on.”
Marc-Andre ter Stegen started Barcelona’s 2-1 victory against Real Valladolid last weekend on his return after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury kept the Germany international out since September. Wojciech Szczesny, who came out of retirement to sign for the club in Ter Stegen’s absence, returned in goal against Inter on Tuesday.
Szczesny, 35, said in April he is “fine” with Ter Stegen being Barcelona’s first-choice goalkeeper once he has returned to fitness, but with the former Poland international’s contract expiring at the end of the season, Flick did not answer if the goalkeeper’s terms would be extended.
“This is Deco’s (sporting director) job, not mine. He does contracts, so it’s up to him,” Flick said.
On Szczesny’s personality, Flick said: “He’s good. More calm. Sometimes he smokes a bit! But he is like that. It’s his way and he is at the right age (laughs). We are happy with him.”
Barcelona lead Madrid by four points at the top of the table, with three matches to play after Sunday’s game.
(Photo: Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)
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