BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has a hamstring strain and is likely to miss the “clasico" against Real Madrid in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday.
Lewandowski picked up the left-leg injury in Barcelona's 1-0 loss at Almeria in the Spanish league on Sunday, a result that allowed Madrid to cut the Catalan club's lead to seven points.
Barcelona did not give a timetable for Lewandowski's recovery, but he is not expected to be fit for the first leg of the Copa semifinals at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Barcelona will face Madrid two more times in the next few weeks, in the second leg of the Copa semifinals and in the Spanish league. Madrid won their last league meeting 3-1 in October, while Barcelona beat its rival by the same score in the Spanish Super Cup final in January.
Madrid is coming off a 1-1 home draw against city rival Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league.
Lewandowski is the league's leading scorer with 15 goals. He had scored two goals in the last three games in all competitions.
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