Barcelona Release Squad to Face Real Madrid, Three Big Names Missing

• Robert Lewandowksi suffered an injury against Almeria last Sunday
• Ousmane Dembele and Pedri also sustained injuries earlier this month
• The Barca trio will not feature in the Copa Del Rey tie with Real Madrid

Xavi Hernandez has named Barcelona's squad list for their Copa Del Rey encounter against archrivals, Real Madrid.

The Catalan giants will travel to the Spanish capital to lock horns against Los Blancos in the first leg tie at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on March 2.

According to Sports Mole, the Barcelona trio of Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, and Pedri will not travel to the Spanish capital for the next El Clasico.

Lewandowski picked up a strain to his left hamstring in La Blaugrana's surprise 1-0 loss to Almeria in La Liga on February 26.

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Dembele and Pedri are also out of contention with their own thigh problems and are also not part of the 21-man roster.

Youngster, Ansu Fati is expected to deputise for Lewandowski through the middle but Ferran Torres should get the nod as the number nine, allowing Raphinha to return out wide after his peculiar post-Manchester United injury - damaging his foot by kicking a fridge out of anger following his substitution.

Lewandowski’s absence huge for Barcelona

Barcelona missing Lewandowski’s goalscoring services for the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid is regarded as a big problem, Goal reports.

The Polish international is the Catalan club's top scorer this season, with 25 goals in 31 matches, despite only joining the La Liga leaders in August.

Xavi's team travels to Madrid to face their rivals in the first leg of a cup match that could also set the tone for the title run-in, following back-to-back losses to Almeria in La Liga and Man United in the Europa League.

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Five memorable El Clasico games

Real Madrid and Barcelona will once again serve football fans another spectacle when both teams clash in the Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg on March 2.

Sports Brief reported on the 252nd meeting between the Spanish giants defining both their seasons as Barca chases a domestic double and Real seeks redemption.

Over the years, this fixture has given both sets of fans something to cheer on and has consistenly produced some of the best and most heated matchups in Europe.