Barcelona midfielder Pedri will see his spell on the sidelines extended after suffering a setback in recovering from a hamstring injury.
- Missed Clasico after failing to complete session before game
- Injured hamstring against Manchester United in April
- Faces struggle to play Madrid on April 5
WHAT HAPPENED? Pedri was thought to be on the brink of a return to the first team, and trained with Barcelona on Friday. However, he didn’t finish the session and now faces a longer spell away from game action, according to The Athletic. The Spaniard is now in danger of missing the second leg of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash with Real Madrid on April 5.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 20-year-old has been out of the team since February after injuring his hamstring in the Europa League against Manchester United. Barcelona has relied on Franck Kessie and Sergi Roberto to fill Pedri’s spot in their starting lineup.
ADDITIONALLY, Pedri has now suffered two long-term injuries in as many seasons, with hamstring issues causing him to miss the first half of the 2021-22 season. The Spaniard is not the only member of Xavi’s squad out until further notice, with in-form centre-back Ronald Araujo suffering an adductor injury against Real Madrid on Saturday.
IN THREE PHOTOS:Getty ImagesGetty ImagesGetty
WHAT NEXT? Pedri will hope to return to full fitness by April 5, when Barcelona look to hold onto a 1-0 aggregate lead over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final.