Lamine Yamal suffers major squad setback in Barcelona ahead of ‘Remontada’ vs. Atlético Madrid in Copa del Rey
Lamine Yamal has been rallying fans around the prospect of a “Remontada” (a comeback) against Atlético Madrid in the 2025-26 Copa del Rey. But the teenage star has been dealt a significant blow, with one of FC Barcelona‘s key players ruled out through injury for Tuesday’s second leg of the semifinal.
During the first leg on February 12, a combination of individual errors and clinical finishing from Atlético left Barcelona on the wrong end of a crushing 4-0 defeat, a result that has left the tie all but decided. Now facing the near-impossible task of overturning that deficit at the Spotify Camp Nou, Barca’s odds have taken yet another hit with the latest injury news.
Barcelona have confirmed that Robert Lewandowski will not feature in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atlético Madrid. The striker picked up an injury in the club’s most recent La Liga match against Villarreal and will not even be available as a substitute, as he was in the first leg.
According to a statement released by the club, tests carried out on Lewandowski revealed a fracture of the left eye socket. The Polish striker had come off the bench in the 67th minute of Saturday’s 4-1 win over Villarreal, even getting on the scoresheet in stoppage time, making the subsequent injury news all the more unfortunate.
Who will replace Lewandowski?
Losing Lewandowski is a blow for Barcelona, as the veteran striker has been one of the club’s most reliable contributors this season despite playing a more secondary role due to physical setbacks. He has still managed 14 goals and three assists in 32 appearances across 1,651 minutes (roughly 52 minutes per game) and head coach Hansi Flick will now have to look elsewhere up front.
With Lewandowski unavailable, Ferran Torres is the most likely candidate to lead the line alongside the attacking trio of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. The 26-year-old Spaniard has been in impressive form, contributing 16 goals in 35 games and offering Flick a versatile and dynamic alternative to his Polish striker.
Lamine Yamal eager for the ‘Remontada’
Despite the Lewandowski setback, Barcelona head into the Copa del Rey clash on the back of two dominant victories — a 3-0 win over Levante and the convincing 4-1 result against Villarreal. Yamal himself, who struggled in the first leg, arrives in red-hot form after scoring his first career hat-trick, raising hopes that the second leg could yet provide Atlético with an uncomfortable evening.
Following his hat-trick, Yamal sent a direct message to the Barcelona faithful: “It was time to react and give ourselves a push. We’re doing that now. And I want to tell our fans… come to the stadium against Atleti — magic can happen.” The sentiment was echoed across social media by the club and teammates including Raphinha, all rallying behind the now-viral message: “1% possibility, 99% faith.“