Barcelona’s unhappy manager Hansi Flick confirmed that Pedri is not available for Sunday’s clash with La Liga’s unlikely title challengers Villarreal while outlining the midfielder’s expected recovery trajectory.
Pedri’s influence over Barcelona’s midfield cannot be understated. In the two Champions League matches which the Spanish controller missed last month with a muscle strain, Barça shipped a combined six goals. The Catalans have strung together seven consecutive victories since Pedri’s return at the end of November, with their cerebral No. 8 notching four assists across his previous three league outings.
Toppling club records set by Lionel Messi is always a good sign and Flick has used up every effusive adjective in his hagiographies of the diminutive midfielder. “Pedri is a fantastic player, top class. What can I say about him?” The German coach can now say that he’s injured.
“He won’t be available,” Flick told assembled media ahead of Sunday’s trip to Villarreal, who started the weekend third in the La Liga table. “I’m not happy about it. He’s injured.”
Pedri’s fitness has been a constant issue. After playing almost every conceivable match during his debut campaign in Catalonia, Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta tribute act spent the next three years recovering from the repercussions of that overloading. Last term Pedri missed just three matches, benefitting immensely from the new training regime implemented by Flick. Yet, once again, the 23-year-old’s body has proven to be fallible: Sunday’s clash will be the seventh match he has sat out this season.
However, it’s not expected to be a lengthy layoff.
When Will Pedri Be Back for Barcelona?
“I think he’ll be ready for Espanyol,” Flick promisingly predicted, looking ahead to Barcelona’s first fixture of 2026 on Jan. 3. “He has issues with his hamstrings, but the risk is very high. He could play [against Villarreal], but the risk is high.
“We have to take care of him and make sure he receives treatment. We can’t take risks. That’s the best course of action right now. We need him for the upcoming matches against Espanyol and the Spanish Super Cup. We have to adapt because we have a lot of quality in the squad.”
Flick is right to look at the long-term picture, but Pedri’s absence will no doubt be felt this weekend. For all their struggles in the Champions League—Villarreal sit joint-bottom of the 36-team table with one point from six matches—Barcelona’s next opponents have enjoyed a mightily impressive first half of the domestic season.
The Yellow Submarine have only been sunk by Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, amassing 35 points from a possible 45. A win at La Ceramica would take Villarreal five points behind Barcelona with two games in hand on the division’s current leaders. Without Pedri to guard against, Flick’s challenge this weekend has gotten a lot tougher.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘I’m Not Happy About It’—Hansi Flick Confirms Barcelona Injury Blow.