Barcelona receive positive injury news ahead of El Clásico

Saturday 28th of October has been marked in the calendars since the La Liga schedule was released. Although there are more than two horses in the title race as it stands early in the season, beating Real Madrid is always a priority for any Barca manager.

Barcelona have found themselves in an injury nightmare over the last 3-4 weeks with a number of first-team players going down. Up to 7 first-team players have been missing recently, and Alejandro Balde’s name was added to that list when he was injured while on international duty with Spain.

But there could be some good news on the horizon, as multiple players are close to making their return, and while they won’t all be fit next weekend to take on Athletic Bilbao, there is reason to believe that Xavi could have up to 5 starters back for El Clásico.

Barcelona receiver positive injury news

The first thing to mention is that Balde’s injury is considered minor, with the star left-back set to miss around 10-12 days. With the Real Madrid game 14 days away, there is confidence that Balde will be available for selection.

Robert Lewandowski is also trending in the right direction and while he won’t feature next weekend against Bilbao, there is growing confidence in the Barca locker room that he will be back by the 28th of October.

Raphinha is also trending in the right direction for El Clásico, but if he’s not ready to go then Barcelona will likely turn to Lamine Yamal, who seems unphased by the big occasions. Yamal recently experienced an injury of his own, but it’s minor and he’s expected to return quickly.

As far as Bilbao is concerned, Pedri has now been cleared to return and it’s expected that he’ll make his long-awaited return next weekend.

One name that will likely still be missing is star Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who was pictured in a protective boot last week, it’s unclear how long he’ll be out but he’s unlikely to return in October. Jules Kounde will also likely miss the game with an injury.