Barcelona not ready to risk midfield star despite importance of PSG clash

While there is absolutely no doubt over the fact that Pedri is a generational talent, the Barcelona midfielder’s recurring injury issues have become a cause of concern.

Last month, the 21-year-old suffered a thigh injury in the game against Athletic Club – his third injury of the ongoing season.

At one point, there was fear that Pedri might not play again this season, but the condition was not as bad as initially feared and the midfielder has been on the road to recovery.

With the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against PSG coming up in five days, there have been conflicting reports emerging surrounding Pedri’s recovery.

Barcelona proceeding with caution

Now, a report from journalist Achraf Ben Ayad has provided an update on Barcelona’s approach as far as Pedri and his return are concerned.

The Blaugrana, understandably, are progressing with extreme caution with the 21-year-old midfielder’s recovery and do not want to take any risks with him despite the PSG encounter looming large.

Even though it was expected that Pedri would rejoin the team training sessions this week, along with Frenkie de Jong, that has not been the case thus far.

Pedri is still recovering from a hamstring injury. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Instead, question marks continue to persist on his availability for the big game against PSG away at Parc des Princes on April 10.

Pedri’s injuries this season

Just a couple of weeks into the 2023/24 season, Pedri suffered a hamstring injury in August that kept him out of action for two months, resulting in him missing 12 matches in all competitions.

Having returned to action in November, Pedri suffered another muscle injury in mid-December and went on to miss three games before returning in January 2024.

Now, with his third injury of the season, the Spanish international has missed out on four matches, taking his total tally for the season to 19.

It is a matter of concern for Barcelona and it makes sense for them to proceed with caution and not rush him back, despite the importance of the PSG clash.