In a huge boost for Barcelona, the club have officially confirmed that superstar striker Robert Lewandowski will be available for selection when they take on RCD Espanyol on Saturday.
The 34-year-old was hit with a three-match ban by the Spanish Football Federation after his sending-off in the win against CA Osasuna before the World Cup break.
The Catalans’ appeal was shot down by the RFEF Appeals Committee, which forced the club to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Barcelona had lodged an appeal to overturn Lewandowski’s three-match ban but also had requested for a stay on the sanction until the appeal hearing.
However, the CAS had knocked back Barça’s appeal, which had led everyone to believe that Lewandowski’s three-match ban was in effect starting from the contest against Espanyol on Saturday.
But as per the official statement from the club, the Central Court of Madrid granted a precautionary relief on the sanction upheld by the CAS, which will now allow Lewandowski to take the field when Barcelona face Espanyol at Camp Nou tomorrow.
“Robert Lewandowski will be allowed to play against Espanyol tomorrow after the Central Contentious Court of Madrid granted a preliminary injunction to the sanction imposed by the CAS,” the statement from the club read.
Lewandowski is the leading goalscorer in La Liga this season, having already plundered 13 goals from 14 matches in the competition. He also has netted five in five in the UEFA Champions League.
The likes of Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, and Memphis Depay were said to be battling for Lewandowski’s spot in case he was unavailable. But, with the striker’s ban on hold, he should, in all likelihood, start against Espanyol.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the court’s ruling read: “The very precautionary claim requested is upheld and the sanction imposed on the player Robert Lewandowski is provisionally suspended until the administrative resolution is final.”
It essentially means that Lewandowski will be able to feature for Barcelona until a definite administrative resolution on his ban appeal is made.