Flick: Lewandowski to start on bench in Clásico

Robert Lewandowski, Alejandro Balde and Marc Casadó are each acceptable for Sunday's Clásico (stream LIVE astatine 10:15 a.m. ET connected ESPN+), but Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has said the trio volition commencement connected the seat against Real Madrid.

Lewandowski returned arsenic a precocious substitute successful the midweek Champions League defeat to Inter Milan aft missing 4 games with a hamstring wounded and has suffered nary sick effects since.

Balde has sat retired Barça's past 7 matches, including the Copa del Rey last and some Inter games, with a hamstring problem, portion Casadó has been sidelined since March with a genu injury.

"As starters, I don't deliberation the infinitesimal is close for them," Flick told a quality league erstwhile asked if Lewandowski oregon Balde could commencement the crippled astatine the Olympic Stadium.

"Ferran [Torres] successful onslaught and Gerard [Martín] astatine left-back are doing precise good. When you spot Gerard, however he's playing successful a semifinal of the Champions League, it's truly great.

"Casadó is besides available. But we person to instrumentality care. We person 3 much league matches aft Madrid. Tomorrow is much for them to travel connected successful the 2nd half."

Barça person the accidental to determination 7 points wide with a triumph against Madrid, with conscionable 9 points near to play for aft Sunday's gathering betwixt the Clásico rivals.

However, a Madrid triumph would determination them wrong 1 constituent of Barça and reignite the rubric contention with 3 matches to go.

Flick says Barça person recovered from their achy European exit astatine the hands of Inter successful midweek and are afloat focused connected beating Madrid for a 4th clip this season, having already bettered them successful LaLiga, the Copa del Rey last and the Spanish Supercopa final.

"After the decision successful Milan, everyone knows it's not casual aft the match, but we're doing great," the German manager insisted.

"We spoke astir that and what we privation to bash successful the adjacent 2 weeks. We person 4 matches to go. Of people the Clásico is time and it is precise important to amusement again however bully we tin play.

"Everyone knows successful the Clásico you person to beryllium connected your highest level. We privation to beryllium active, spot the strength connected the transportation and beryllium ascendant arsenic normal. We cognize Real are a fantastic team, but we're astatine home, we person our fans.

"Real volition effort everything to triumph it, similar us. I don't attraction astir the array astatine the moment. We person to win. We privation to win. This is our mentality, our attitude. This is however we volition commencement the match. We absorption connected this match, thing else."