Pedri expected to miss another month following setback

With Barcelona, one has expect the lows that go along with the highs.

Everything seemed to be rolling along well following Barcelona’s 2-1 win against Real Madrid that all but sealed the league title.

Fast forward to today, one of their new pillars has suffered a setback.

Pedri’s recovery has not gone as expected and is now expected to miss an additional month.

What this means is Pedri will definitely miss the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.

A little over a week ago, the feeling around Pedri was positive with the belief that he was set to return for El Clasico. He was either expected to start and play around an hour or as a late substitute. But the Friday before the match, he left training early, all but ruling him out for the game.

The setback has to be more than disappointing for both the player and Barcelona who were counting on having him back following the international break. Those hopes have now gone out the window.

Pedri isn’t the only player who got less than stellar news about his injury as Ousmane Dembélé is also not expected to recover in time for the Copa del Rey match.

Considering how poorly, or slow, both players’ recovery has gone, it is no surprise there is concern within the club on the handling of their injuries.

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If there is a bright spot is that Barcelona have learned how to win without both these players. Of the two, Pedri’s absence has been felt the most given what he contributes in midfield. Out of all the Barcelona midfielders, he’s the most adept at seeing and giving that through ball of sending a pass that can break the defensive lines.

Franck Kessie and Sergi Roberto are fine options but neither of them provide what Pedri does.

The important thing now for Barcelona is to make sure Pedri has the time necessary to recover and to not rush the process. Fortunately for them, they’ve given themselves that time with the 12-point advantage.

In some ways, they are still likely paying for the amount of games Pedri has played since breaking into the first team. He’s virtually played every game for his club, barring the time he’s spent out injured, as well as for the national team. It caused controversy when he was called up the Olympics for Spain after playing virtually every minute during the Euros.

The plan going forward should be not only dealing with the injury but finding a way to give him rest when needed so they don’t continue to happen. As good as Pedri is, he has spent a decent amount of time away from the pitch because of the injuries.