It has been another difficult year for Barcelona midfielder Pedri, as he has had to spend a lot of time out on the sidelines due to injuries.
The 21-year-old fan favourite will bring down the curtains on 2023 while being in the infirmary after picking up yet another muscle injury earlier this month.
The injury, which came about due to a knock in training, led to Pedri missing the La Liga game against UD Almeria and the subsequent friendly vs Club America in the US.
Initially, the hope was to recover him in time for Barcelona’s first game of 2024, against his boyhood club Las Palmas, but that is no longer possible.
In fact, Pedri has been definitively ruled out of the upcoming two games against Las Palmas and UD Barbastro (Copa del Rey).
Pedri will travel to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup
As things stand, Pedri’s involvement in the Spanish Super Cup next month, when Barcelona fly to Saudi Arabia, is also up in the air.
But, according to Javi Miguel of AS, the Barcelona coaching staff’s intention is to include the midfielder in the squad that will travel to Saudi on January 9, even though he is not yet medically cleared, thinking about a hypothetical final.
Pedri is not only completely ruled out for games against Las Palmas and Barbastro, but also for the semi-final of the Super Cup on January 11 against Osasuna.
But if the team reaches the final, which will be played three days later, they would consider whether or not to bring him back, depending above all on his feelings.
It should be remembered that Pedri suffered “a minor muscle injury”, as the medical statement issued by the club a fortnight ago stated.
But the injury is in the same area as the previous one the Spaniard had sustained – the thigh of the right leg – which kept him out of action for almost three months this season.
The approximate time off is estimated to be close to a month, so in the best-case scenario Pedri would make it to the final of the Spanish Super Cup, should Barcelona beat Osasuna in the semi-final.
However, absolute caution will be followed in his case, given his history of muscle injuries.
