Barcelona's star midfielder Pedri will miss approximately one month of action after sustaining a hamstring injury during the team's thrilling 4-2 UEFA Champions League victory over Slavia Prague on Wednesday.
The LaLiga leaders confirmed Thursday that medical tests revealed a muscular tear in the biceps femoris of his right thigh, ruling out the 23-year-old Spaniard until late February.
Pedri had been influential in the match, providing an assist for FermÍn López's opening goal before limping off in the 61st minute during a Slavia counterattack, initially raising fears of a more serious issue.
This setback comes at a challenging time for Hansi Flick's high-flying Barcelona, who sit atop LaLiga and have advanced in the Champions League knockout stages, but now face a congested schedule including clashes with Copenhagen, Real Oviedo in the Copa del Rey, and league tests against Elche, Girona, and Mallorca without their pivotal playmaker.
Pedri, a product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, has blossomed under Flick since the German's 2024 arrival, featuring in 59 matches last season after overcoming persistent injury concerns that hampered his early career.
This term, he had already missed five games due to prior hamstring troubles and a calf problem, making his consistent availability crucial to Barca's title push. Coach Flick called the news unfortunate yet expressed relief that scans didn't reveal worse damage, with the squad already showing depth by securing the win despite the substitution.
The Blaugranas had a huge win over Slavia Praha in the Champions League on Wednesday, which has bolstered their top eight hopes ahead of the knockout stages. They currently sit 9th in the table with 13 points, and will play Danish club FC Kobenhavn at home on the final match day.
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