Barcelona aim to bounce back from their tough 4–1 defeat to Sevilla as they host Girona on Matchday 9 of the 2025–26 LaLiga season. Hansi Flick’s side are determined to stay within reach of Real Madrid, who currently hold a three-point lead, but they’ll have to face their next challenge without two of their biggest stars: Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Lewandowski will miss the match against Girona after suffering a hamstring tear in his left leg while on international duty with Poland. The striker sat out the first friendly against New Zealand but started in the 2–0 win over Lithuania in the World Cup Qualifiers, where he scored a goal.
Although Barcelona haven’t provided specific details on his recovery timeline, ESPN reports that Lewandowski is expected to be sidelined for three to five weeks, which means he’s likely to miss El Clásico against Real Madrid on Sunday, October 26.
As for Raphinha, the Brazilian forward sustained a hamstring injury in his right thigh during the 3–1 victory over Real Oviedo on September 25. While he is nearing the end of his projected three-week recovery period, Flick emphasized that the priority is to have him fully fit for El Clásico.
“We hope he’ll be ready for El Clásico — that’s the plan. Sometimes recovery processes face setbacks, but he’s on the right track,” Flick said during a press conference, confirming that Raphinha will not feature against Girona and is also unlikely to be available for the Champions League clash against Olympiacos.
Barcelona dealing with an injury crisis in attack
The absences of Lewandowski and Raphinha are not the only setbacks Hansi Flick will have to manage up front against Girona. They are joined on the sidelines by Dani Olmo, who is recovering from a calf muscle injury, and Ferran Torres, who is dealing with muscle fatigue.
In addition, Fermin Lopez has returned to training after suffering a hip flexor strain in the 3–0 win over Getafe, while Lamine Yamal is also back in light training following a groin injury relapse. Neither player has yet been cleared for full competition. Both are hoping to be available for the Girona match, but the plan is for neither to start on Saturday, in order to fully recover for the Real Madrid match.
Flick addressed the unusual situation of having so few attacking options but emphasized the importance of moving forward regardless. “We’ve lost a lot of attacking players, but we still have options. We can’t change the situation,” the German coach said.