Barcelona confirm Robert Lewandowski eligible to play against Espanyol despite red card in previous match 

Barcelona have confirmed that striker Robert Lewandowski is eligible to feature for them in their La Liga clash away against Espanyol on Saturday (December 31).

The Polish striker was sent off in their previous game against Osasuna before the FIFA World Cup break after picking up two yellow cards within the first 31 minutes of the away clash. However, the Blaugrana managed to pull off a 2-1 victory to secure all three points. After the match, the 34-year-old was hit with an additional two-game ban by the Spanish Football Federation for his gestures towards the referee.

Following an unsuccessful appeal for his ban to be overturned by the RFEF Appeals Committee, the Catalan club took the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Though the CAS turned down Barca’s appeal, the Central Court of Madrid has reportedly granted precautionary relief to the sanction upheld by the CAS, which clears Lewandowski to feature in Barcelona's clash against Espanyol.

Barca's statement read:

"Robert Lewandowski will be able to play tomorrow against Espanyol after the Central Contentious Court of Madrid has granted a precautionary measure to the sanction imposed by the TAD"

This would be a big boost for the Catalans as Lewandowski has been their talisman since joining them from Bayern Munich in a €45 million deal in the summer. He has scored 18 goals and provided four assists in 19 games across competitions. The Pole has helped Barcelona reach the top of the La Liga table, where they hold a two-point lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Lewandowski didn't have a particularly good 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign with Poland as they crashed out in the Round of 16 following defeat to finalists France. The former Bayern Munich man scored two goals and provided one assist in four games. He will look to bounce back in club colors when they take on their city rivals at the Camp Nou.

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Barcelona veteran highlights importance of derby against Espanyol

Left-back Jordi Alba, who came through Barcelona's famed academy La Masia, recently spoke about how special a clash against Espanyol is for everyone involved.

He told Sport:

“A special match. The people from here, who have been at the club for a long time, who have played them since we were very young, live them [the derbies] in a very different way. I’m sure there will be a lot of people at the Camp Nou who will cheer us on as always.”

Alba has played 12 matches for the Blaugrana across competitions this season, providing two assists.

The Catalan side go into the derby on the back of a five-game winning streak in La Liga and a four-game win streak across all competitions.