CAS reject Barcelona appeal for Lewandowski's three-match ban

By Emmanuel Oladele - Barcelona key man Robert Lewandowski is set to miss three important games as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) rejected Barcelona appeal for the Polish striker. It's now certain that the La Liga current top goalscorer with 13 goals will miss derby fixture against Espanyol and two other games against Atletico Madrid and Getafe.

Recall, the 34-year-old was handed a three-match ban for making gestures (holding his finger to his nose while heading to the dressing room) towards the match officials on November 8 after he was sent off against Osasuna, a match Barcelona won by 2-1. Lewandowski was handed the second yellow card in the 30th minute when he whacked David Garcia before being sent off. Gerard Pique also received a straight red card in the added minutes of the first half for haranguing the officials, leaving Barcelona with nine men in the second half of the game.

Barcelona despite occupying the top spot on the La Liga log might end the year on a poor note as their key man Lewandowski will be absent when they face Espanyol on Saturday 31st December, 2022 in matchday 15 at Camp Nou.

Xavi will now bank on Memphis Depay who has not really done much for Barcelona this season due to injuries as replacement for the Polish Striker upfront. Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati are other available options for Lewandowski position.