Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed that Robert Lewandowski will return to action from the bank against Inter in the semi-final second stage of the Champions League against Inter on Tuesday evening. The Polish veteran missed their last four games with a knee injury, but got the green light to play on Monday.
“Lewandowski feels good, I spoke to him yesterday, and he is doing better than we expected. And can be available on the couch to come up when we need him,” said Flick de Pers in Milan prior to the last training session of Barcelona on Monday evening. It means anything but that Ferran Torres will start through the middle, as he did in the first stage.
Most speculation was about the back line for Barcelona. Eric Garcia seems ready to replace Jules Kounde Right back, but with Alejandro Bangde not back from injury, Flick has a decision to take links.
Gerard Martin was exposed to Denzel Dumfries in the first stage, but remains the most natural choice. It has been speculated that Inigo Martinez could be moved over, with Ronald Araujo in the central defense.
“We have analyzed everything with the staff. We have to defend much better, and there may be some changes. That is all I can say.”
“Injuries cannot be reversed. The absence of Kound and Balde are considerable, but Eric, Hector [Fort]” [Ronald] Araujo and Gerard can all play. They will help us all and do it well. “
Intermanager Simone Inzaghi was full of praise for Lamine Yamal after the first leg and again for the second stage in Milan. Hansi Flick was not worried about dampening the hype.
“I have been here for eight months now. You know me. Lamine is a genius at the age of 17, it is incredibly everything he does the ball. Every pass is the perfect weight, the perfect corner, the right decision, but for me the most important thing is that the team is. I want the players to be at their best.”
The most recent report is that Flick more or less has settled on his starting line-up for the Inter Clash, but he will undoubtedly have investigated his options in the defense. The use of Gerard Martin is in danger of being caught twice in the same way, while moving to an alternative means that the rest of his defense is in all likelihood.