Barcelona in line to receive double injury boost in time for second leg vs Inter Milan | OneFootball

FC Barcelona played out a thrilling 3-3 draw against Inter Milan last night in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.

It was a scintillating duel between two teams who play completely contrasting styles of football. The second leg will be played next week at the Giuseppe Meazza with everything on the line.

Leading up to that match, Barcelona are set for a welcome injury boost with two key players expected to make it back for the trip to Italy.

Alejandro Balde, Robert Lewandowski in line for a return

Indeed, according to AS, Barcelona’s medical staff are fully focused on recovering Alejandro Balde and Robert Lewandowski in time for the Champions League semi-final second leg against Inter Milan.

All signs indicate that Balde will be fully recovered from the left hamstring injury he sustained against Leganes last month. The initial estimate was around three weeks of recovery, a period that will conclude this weekend.

As such, he is expected to be given medical clearance on Friday, with plans for him to play a few minutes in Saturday’s match against Real Valladolid.

Recovering from an injury. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Lewandowski’s situation is more uncertain. The team’s top scorer, with 40 goals this season, suffered a hamstring injury on 19 April during the match against Celta Vigo. His recovery time was also estimated at three weeks.

The current plan is to clear him for travel to Milan on Monday, though his chances of starting are slim. The aim is for him to be on the bench and available to help the team in the second half if necessary.

For manager Hansi Flick, recovering Balde is considered more crucial than Lewandowski at this stage. Neither Gerard Martin nor Inigo Martinez has the pace and attacking thrust of the academy graduate, whose absence was felt last night.

Meanwhile, Ferran Torres has stepped up effectively in Lewandowski’s absence, scoring in almost every match, meaning the veteran can be eased back.

Either way, both Balde and Lewandowski are expected to be available for the trip to Italy, although Jules Kounde will miss out after suffering an injury in the first leg last night.