Barcelona star winger’s return for El Clasico vs Real Madrid difficult but not impossible

Barcelona have been hit with a streak of injuries in the past few weeks as Frenkie de Jong, Raphinhna, and more recently Robert Lewandowski have all joined Pedri in the infirmary.

And with some important games coming up right after the international break, there are concerns about their availability, especially for the first El Clasico against Real Madrid.

Barcelona will face off against their arch-rivals Real Madrid on October 28 at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

And, ahead of the game three weeks from now, Mundo Deportivo has come up with a report on the potential availability of the injured Barça stars for the blockbuster clash.

Raphinha’s return for Clasico tricky

And, as per the report, as things stand, Raphinha’s involvement in the Clasico later this month appears to be pretty much touch and go.

The 26-year-old winger picked up a thigh injury during the 1-0 win over Sevilla and has already missed the clash against FC Porto, while he will be unavailable for the weekend match versus Granada.

Reports had suggested that there was a lot of optimism regarding his recovery and that he could return to action soon after the international break, putting him in the picture for the Clasico.

However, the report from Mundo Deportivo states that at the moment Raphinha’s return for the Real Madrid clash is difficult but not entirely impossible.

The Brazilian is eager to make it in time for the biggest game of the La Liga calendar, but everything will depend on his recovery and feelings leading up to the game.

What about the others?

As things stand, Pedri is the likeliest to recover and be ready in time for Barcelona’s encounter against Real Madrid later this month.

As far as Lewandowski is concerned, his injury appears to be a tad more serious than initially anticipated and it is expected that he will not return in time for El Clasico.

Frenkie de Jong, too, is unlikely to be back in time for the titanic clash at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.