The Polish veteran has scored in four of Barcelona’s six league games so far this season with starts in each of them.
Despite being the elder statesman in the La Blaugrana attack, his ruthlessness in front of goal remains as sharp as ever, and he netted twice in the 5-1 weekend win at Villarreal.
Game load management will be crucial for the 36-year-old in the coming months but he has already outlined his determination to score over 20 league goals once again.
All six goals have come inside the box, with Lewandowski’s preseason demands for more crosses into the penalty area met, and he is confident there is more to come.
“This season we look for more passes or crosses into the box, and as a striker, that’s my area, I can do many things”, as per quotes from Marca.
As the schedule steps up in the coming weeks, across La Liga and UEFA Champions League action, Lewandowski looks set for a rest at some point, as Getafe head to Catalonia on
Barcelona are once again lamenting their fortune after Marc-Andre ter Stegen was struck down by a brutal knee injury during their 5-1 win over Villarreal. No medical degree was necessary to see that ter Stegen’s knee was not in the right place after the injury, and now Barcelona will have to assess their options in goal.
He was substituted by Inaki Pena, who also replaced him last season for a period of three months, while youngsters Ander Astralaga and Diego Kochen are also options. The latter is injured for a month himself, but Cadena SER have noted that none of the options in goal fully convince the club of their ability.
While Barcelona can no longer sign a player from another team this season, after the rule that allowed them to activate Martin Braithwaite’s release clause in 2020 was erased, but they can sign a goalkeeper that is currently a free agent. Their options in that regard run through Keylor Navas, Jiri Pavlenka, Sergio Rico, Tomas Vaclik, Kristoffer Klaesson or Antonio Adan.
Two former La Masia goalkeepers in Edgar Badia and Jordi Masip also remain without teams currently, while the Spanish radio station also noted that Wojciech Szczesny has recently retired, and Robert Lewandowski might put in a call to his Polish teammate, although that is pure speculation.
One goalkeeper who Barcelona have scouted in the past with positive reports is Las Palmas’ Alvaro Valles. Relegated to the bench after deciding not to sign a new deal with Pio Pio, former Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is starting in his place. It is noted that they could only sign Valles in January, even if he rescinds the 9 months remaining on his contract, as he was not a free agent at the end of the market.
Barcelona will likely have to choose first whether to sign immediately in place of ter Stegen – they are permitted to sign an emergency injury replacement, using 80% of his salary, which amounts to around €7m. If they decide to forge ahead with Pena or another of their younger options until January, that will open up their options until then.
Ter Stegen was in serious pain following the incident, and he had to be stretched off. According to early information from Diario AS, Barcelona officials are fearing the worst with the German goalkeeper, who could end up being ruled out for the remainder of the season – if these fears are confirmed, an injury lay-off of nine months is a serious possibility.
