Barcelona have kicked off the 2025/26 season with mixed results, leaving fans questioning squad rotations and tactical choices.
Injuries and a congested fixture list have influenced Hansi Flick’s selection, particularly in attack.
Ferran Torres has impressed early, prompting Flick to stick with him for the opening fixtures.
Meanwhile, the international break looms large, giving players time to recover and integrate before the season intensifies.
Robert Lewandowski, a key figure for Barca, has been under the spotlight as supporters wait to see how he’ll fit back into the starting eleven.
After missing the first game against Mallorca due to injury, Robert Lewandowski came on as a late substitute in the second game against Levante.
Following his return, one would have expected him to start against Rayo Vallecano.
But that wasn’t the case as coach Hansi Flick preferred to start with in-form Ferran Torres.
In a recent press conference, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Lewandowski talked about his return to the Barcelona team and the road ahead, amid the lack of minutes for him at the start of the season.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, I was injured for two weeks.
“But the season has just started, and it’s very long. I wasn’t under pressure to play as many minutes as possible as soon as possible,” he said.
“August is the ideal month to get into rhythm. E
“Everything starts in September, so I knew I had to take it easy, without rushing.
“The season is very long; you have to look at it as a whole. But I’m happy to be 100% fit,” he added.
It appears Lewandowski is expecting things to normalise after the international break and eventually replace Ferran as Barcelona’s main striker.
“We’ll see how I feel and what the intensity of the games will be.
“I expect a start to the season as tough as last year’s, and we must be prepared for that.
“I prefer to focus on quality, not quantity, so we’ll talk about it. I’m also aware that the intensity is high right now, so we’ll all need to rest,” he said.
The veteran striker has had an eventful summer, which started with a flare-up with national team coach Michal Probierz.
After being stripped of captaincy, the Pole surprised everyone by announcing his international retirement.
This led to Probierz eventually quitting and Lewandowski coming back and becoming a captain again, this time under new coach Jan Urban.
“This isn’t the time to recount what happened in June, but from a human perspective, I can’t say it was an easy situation.
“The beginning was a bit difficult from a purely emotional point of view, but with each passing day, I received the support of the fans; that was something special for me.
“I want to thank them for that,” he said about the events in June.
Talking about his return to the Polish national team, Lewandowski is delighted and ready to fight for his nation once again.
“We all understand what it means to join the Polish national team.
“I’m just as happy to be in the camp now. We’re aware of our situation, of what happened, especially on the pitch, because that’s the most important thing.
“We have to put some things behind us to focus on the future and what lies ahead.
“I wasn’t happy about it because every change of coach is also a failure for someone,” he said.
“This topic has already been discussed, I’ve expressed my opinion on it, I have nothing to add, and I want to focus on what’s next,” he added.
Lewandowski will play a key role for Poland as they take on the Netherlands and Finland in the upcoming international break.
“I think in the next two matches we will not only perform well, but we will also get points; that’s our goal.
“They are qualifiers, and we’re only thinking about qualifying for the World Cup,” he concluded.
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