The injury, which occurred during Barcelona’s match against Porto in the Champions League, will keep striker Robert Lewandowski out of play for an undetermined amount of time, according to a statement released by the club on Thursday.
In the first half of Barca’s 1-0 victory against Porto on Wednesday, Polish international Lewandowski, who is 35 years old, was the victim of a brutal hit from Porto’s David Carmo. Carmo’s tackle was a crushing one.
The injury is a devastating setback for the reigning Spanish champions, who are now second in the La Liga standings, one point behind Real Madrid after eight matches. The “Clasico” match between Barca and Real will take place later this month.
“Tests conducted this Thursday morning have revealed that Robert Lewandowski has sprained his left ankle and will be out of action until the injury heals,” the Barcelona club said in a statement.
This season, Lewandowski leads the squad in scoring in the league with five goals and three assists, making him the team’s highest scorer overall. The next match for Barcelona will be on Sunday away against Granada.