Barcelona are going through perhaps their worst spell since Hansi Flick arrived as manager in May 2024. Thankfully, their best player is about to come back.
Pedri is expected to return in Sunday’s La Liga home match against 19th-placed Levante, his first appearance since suffering another hamstring injury at Slavia Prague in the Champions League on January 21.
A lot has happened since then. In La Liga, Barca slipped two points behind Real Madrid at the top of the table after Monday’s 2-1 defeat at Girona. The Thursday before that, they were thrashed 4-0 at Atletico Madrid in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg — a defeat that prompted significant self-criticism and reflection on their style of play.
After the Girona game, Flick highlighted midfield as the area Barca need to fix most of all.
“We defended the transitions very badly, we were too open,” said the 60-year-old German in his post-match press conference. “Our midfield was not in the right position, and it was not easy for the back line to defend that.”
This is why Pedri’s return feels as timely as it can get. He and Raphinha are considered the two most important players in making Flick’s risky system work — especially their commitment to aggressive pressing in the opponent’s half and high defensive line.
Pedri’s most precious contribution to this is his press resistance when Barcelona are on the ball. He can survive practically any kind of pressure, helping protect Barca’s defenders.
But his work to try and win the ball back — as well as his tactical and positional awareness — is also praised at the club.
Pedri missed 84 games in the three seasons following his overloaded debut campaign (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
“A big part of our game consists of having the ball and bringing it to the areas we want to attack, but also to defend better if we lose possession,” says a Barca backroom staff source — speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment.
“This is where Pedri’s influence is unreal. He also has great physicality and covers a lot of ground, both on and off the ball.”
Everyone at Barca knows that his return cannot be rushed. Pedri’s injury record means he has to be managed properly.
The impact his breakout season had on him has been well covered. Pedri played 73 games with club and country back in the 2020-21 season — a debut campaign at Barcelona that concluded with the European Championship and then the Olympics with Spain.
Over the following three seasons, recurring muscular injuries — mostly hamstring problems — ruled him out of 84 games for Barcelona, according to Transfermarkt.
The setbacks took a mental toll on the player, and there were doubts at Barca about how to help him find the consistency he needed to rediscover his path towards becoming one of the world’s top performers.
Last season, the situation finally seemed to improve. A revamp in the medical and fitness department for Flick’s first term in charge produced Pedri’s best campaign. He featured in 59 games, scoring six goals and providing eight assists as the team won a domestic treble and reached the Champions League semi-finals. He only missed three matches through injury.
His performances this season have been excellent overall, too — but he has had two hamstring problems already. Evidently, caution is required.
Flick is usually extremely careful in managing players after spells on the sidelines. Further proof came with Raphinha’s involvement at Girona. He, too, is suffering from hamstring issues, which kept him out of the Atletico defeat. On Monday, he was taken off after 63 minutes due to medical recommendations. With Pedri, there is a similar plan.
After completing a big part of Thursday’s training session with the team, Barca expect to have Pedri with the matchday squad on Sunday. He will not start the game, though, and will likely play just a short period in the second half, so long as conditions are right.
The idea is to slowly increase his involvement over the coming weeks, with the aim of him arriving in top form and peak fitness for the Champions League last 16. Barca will play either Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Qarabag or Newcastle. The first leg will be away from home on March 10 or 11. Some at the club suggest he could potentially return to the starting XI for the return leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico at the Camp Nou on March 3.
This Sunday against Levante, it would not be a surprise to see Marc Bernal starting in midfield. Flick is a big admirer, and his profile could provide a solution to what you might call the Pedri problem — fielding a player who can make Barca’s midfield more solid in transitions. Bernal would also provide a more physical presence in duels.
The 18-year-old La Masia graduate has also been carefully managed by Barca. In September, he returned from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury suffered in August 2024, but he is still not considered ready to complete 90 minutes. The longest spell he has played came at Albacete in the previous round of the Copa, when he managed 66 minutes.
Gavi is another name to keep close tabs on. After suffering a meniscus tear in August, the 21-year-old also returned to training this week. His case will be treated with even more caution than Pedri’s, as he also suffered an ACL tear in November 2023.
Barca have the profiles they need to improve their form in good time before the end of the season. But handling them in the right way is an incredibly important task. Recent history means the club has learned this the hard way — and yet another reminder came at Girona on Monday night.
Eric Garcia — who is Flick’s most-used player this season, on 2,938 minutes in all competitions — had to be subbed off in the 73rd minute due to a hamstring problem. Scans on Tuesday showed no signs of significant injury but rather a small overload. Thankfully, the 24-year-old will also have had some time to rest.
After the Girona defeat, Flick said he could see his players were tired, having played 13 games in 45 days. He gave them two days off this week before training resumed on Thursday — and next week Barca do not have a midweek game, either.
