TA: Raphinha is expected to return on 11.22; Lewandowski will participate in training; Olmo’s return date is undecided

Hupu, October 29th, TheAthleticUK Barcelona and team reporters wrote a weekly column after the national derby.

In the aftermath of El Clasico, what might we have overlooked?

The Yamal team has attracted much attention, but there are also many players who performed poorly. Kounde's performance was particularly poor, arguably his third consecutive poor performance.

Marcus Rashford did not shine as everyone expected on the most important stage so far this season.

As far as the formation is concerned, due to Raphinha's injury, Barcelona's frontcourt pressure is still a bit unstable, resulting in the back line being exposed and the team's lack of confidence.

What else did we learn from Sunday’s game?

That's why we probably shouldn't expect Barcelona to return to their best form anytime soon.

The team looks tired and lacks confidence, and there are not many players who are about to return, so I believe the situation will turn around immediately. In fact, there is another negative news in this regard - Pedri is currently suspended for one game after receiving a red card at the Bernabeu.

It may be good for Pedri to get more than a week of sufficient rest, but this weekend's home game against Elche will be more serious than some people think. So far, they are one of the biggest dark horses in La Liga this season.

What should we focus on this week?

Lewandowski may return from injury. The 37-year-old carried out part of training with the rest of his team-mates on Monday and could be named in Elche's matchday squad if he maintains good form.

One player who may not be on the roster is Christensen. The centre-back missed El Clasico with a calf injury and the club said he was likely to be sidelined for another week.

The next one to be crossed off the injured list should be Juan Garcia or Dani Olmo. Club sources say there is optimism the goalkeeper will return to training soon, although that may be a bit unlikely this week.

Regarding Olmo, Barcelona said it will take up to three weeks for him to recover from the calf injury. This is the third week since the Spanish international's injury, but there is no sign of him returning to training.

Rafinha is far from ready. As The Athletic reported on Friday, the Brazilian winger's recovery has been hampered by a hamstring injury that has ruled him out of El Clasico and may have to wait another month.

Sources within the club believe there is hope that he will be ready for the game against Celta Vigo on November 9, but they have stated that they would prefer to let him rest and fully recover during the international break next month, while also avoiding allowing him to participate in the Brazil team.

To sum up, the most likely return date for the 28-year-old player is November 22, when Barcelona will face Athletic Bilbao at home.

The club is still working towards a date for its return to the Camp Nou, where capacity will be limited to 45,000.

Barcelona has received the first permission to reopen its stadium, but the capacity is limited to 27,000 people, but it still needs to continue to work hard to obtain approval from the Barcelona City Council and approve all permits to accommodate more spectators.