Barcelona set to welcome back 4 key players ahead of game against Athletic Club: Reports

Barcelona have received a massive boost ahead of their La Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao this Sunday (March 12, 2023). The Catalan giants are set to welcome three of their players back from injury and suspension as they aim to extend their lead at the top of the table.

According to Diario Sport, Barcelona will have their star striker Robert Lewandowski available for the encounter after recovering from a slight hamstring strain. The forward missed the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final clash with Real Madrid and the league match against Valencia last weekend but has now been passed fit to return to action.

🚨🎖️| Lewandowski will return to the match against Athletic Bilbao if the recovery progresses well. [@tjuanmarti] #fcblive 🇵🇱 https://t.co/jRA1eh9TnY

Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen are also expected to be ready to take part in the face-off against Athletic Bilbao. The Dutchman was taken off midway through the game against Valencia on Sunday as a precaution due to a hamstring issue while his Danish counterpart played the game with a heavily strapped ankle.

Barcelona will also have Pablo Gavi in contention for minutes at the weekend. The midfielder missed the last game due to suspension but is now eligible to make a comeback.

That said, it is worth noting that Xavi Hernandez will still have a couple of significant absences heading into the weekend's fixture. The Blaugrana manager will be without Ronald Araujo, who picked up a red card in the last fixture, as well as Ousmane Dembele, who continues with his recovery from a muscular injury.

On a similar note, there's still uncertainty over Pedri's availability for the game at San Mames on Sunday. The midfielder suffered a rupture of the anterior rectus of his right thigh during the first leg of the Europa League play-off against Manchester United last month.

❗️Frenkie de Jong is not injured. His substitution was a technical decision.

— @gerardromero https://t.co/gpxaBnv2r7

Although the Spaniard was initially ruled out for a month, there's been growing claims that he could be ready to play a few minutes this weekend. It remains to be seen if he'll get the clearance of the medical team to feature against the Basque outfit.

Barcelona extend lead at the top of La Liga table

The Catalan giants earned a vital 1-0 victory over Valencia at Camp Nou at the weekend. This enabled them to establish a nine-point lead at the top of the table after second-placed Real Madrid ended up playing out a goalless draw with Real Betis.

As it stands, Barcelona have an impressive 62 points in 24 games after winning 20, drawing two, and losing two matches in the Spanish top flight this season. Their arch-rivals, meanwhile, have 53 points in 24 games, with 16 wins, five draws, and three losses to their name.

Reacting to the point difference following his side's draw at the weekend, Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti said:

“It’s still not over. Nine points is a lot, but we have to fight to the end.”

It remains to be seen if the defending champions will be able to stage any dramatic comeback in the title race.