Barcelona midfielder Pedri has defended Raphinha after the Brazilian picked up an injury on international duty and was ruled out for five weeks.
The news is a huge blow to the player and the club, with some criticism having been aimed at Raphinha for playing with such intensity in a meaningless friendly.
Yet Pedri says it’s impossible for players to drop their intensity levels and says Raphinha’s injury is just part of football.
“It’s a sad situation for him or anyone to be injured, especially if they
play for my team,” he told reporters.
“But I can tell you: You can’t play at half intensity. You’re thre times more likely to get injured. It’s the worst thing you can do as a footballer. Sadly, injuries are part of football. If they have to happen, then they will.”
While Raphinha will now miss some key games, Pedri and his Spain team-mates did manage to come through unscathed from the international break.
While Lamine Yamal started again on Tuesday against Egypt, he was given a rest in the second half and Pedri also played just 45 minutes in the 0-0 draw.
