FC Barcelona Have A New Striker To Replace Injured Robert Lewandowski

FC Barcelona have a new striker to replace injured number 9 Robert Lewandowski, as reported on by SPORT.

The Pole was hooked before half time during Wednesday night’s win over Porto in the Champions League, with the club confirming a knock the following afternoon.

“Tests carried out this morning have revealed that Robert Lewandowski has a left ankle sprain. He is out and his recovery will determine his availability,” a statement published on Twitter read.

Shortly after that correspondence, SPORT and other outlets reported that Lewandowski could miss more than just Sunday’s clash with Granada, and might be out for “more than a month”.

If this potential development comes to fruition, it will jeopardize his involvement in important upcoming La Liga matches against Athletic Club, Real Madrid, and Real Sociedad as well.

Furthermore, head coach Xavi Hernandez also wouldn’t be able to select his top scorer for a Champions League meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk on October 25 and possibly the return fixture in Hamburg on November 7 too.

Xavi is currently without Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha too, who he has similarly lost to injuries.

While they are key players like Lewandowski, however, there are plenty of midfielders and wingers willing to replace them and try and impress the boss of their worth.

The same thing can’t be said about the striker’s position.

And though Ferran Torres – the scorer of the only goal that claimed three points in Porto when he replaced Lewandowski – is likely to get the nod on Sunday, the manager is reportedly considering trying Joao Felix up top in other matches.

Rather than being the out-and-out target man, Felix could be tried as a false ‘9’ and especially when Raphinha returns to fitness or Xavi fields four midfielders.

While he has different qualities compared to Lewandowski, nobody can doubt the Portuguese’s scoring ability.

After completing his loan move from Atletico Madrid on transfer deadline day this summer, the 23-year-old immediately netted two strikes and provided three assists.

He has cooled off from adding to this tally in his last couple of outings, but has still neared raising his hand by hitting the woodwork or being denied from close range.

Until the arrival of Vitor Roque from Brazil, Felix gives Xavi and his staff something to think about in Lewandowski’s absence.