Barcelona’s injury problems deepened on Wednesday after the club confirmed that midfielder Pedri has suffered a tear in his hamstring, ruling him out for a significant spell.
The 22-year-old sustained the injury during training earlier this week, and medical tests have revealed a tear in the distal biceps femoris muscle of his left thigh, part of the hamstring group located at the back of the leg.
Barcelona released a brief statement confirming the diagnosis, adding that “the player’s recovery will dictate his return to action.” While no official timeframe has been provided, such injuries typically require several weeks — and in more severe cases, months of recovery.
Consistent Performer Halted by Injury
Pedri has been one of Barcelona’s most dependable players under manager Hansi Flick, starting all 13 of the club’s matches across all competitions this season before the setback. His consistency and creativity in midfield have been central to Flick’s system, with the young Spaniard developing into both a tactical leader and a symbol of Barcelona’s modern identity.
Before this latest injury, Pedri had featured in 41 consecutive games for Barcelona and had missed only one of Flick’s 73 matches since the German took charge. His absence will therefore come as a significant blow for a team already battling a mounting injury crisis.
The midfielder was already set to miss Barcelona’s next La Liga match against Elche due to suspension, having been sent off for a late challenge on Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni in Sunday’s 2-1 El Clásico defeat. That red card now seems minor compared to the potential length of his absence.
A Familiar Problem
Unfortunately for Pedri, hamstring injuries have been a recurring problem since his breakthrough at Barcelona. The Canary Islands-born playmaker, who joined the Catalan giants from Las Palmas in 2020 at age 17, has endured several similar setbacks over the past few seasons.
One of the most serious came in 2021, when a hamstring tear sidelined him for more than three months between September and January. The club’s medical team have worked closely with him since then to manage his workload, but the intensity of Barcelona’s schedule combined with his importance to the team has made rest difficult to maintain.
Since joining the club, Pedri has made 215 appearances in all competitions, scoring 20 goals and becoming a mainstay for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team. His intelligence, vision, and composure have earned comparisons to legendary midfielders such as Andrés Iniesta.
However, frequent muscle injuries have hindered his ability to maintain momentum across full seasons. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente will also be concerned, with next summer’s UEFA Nations League and World Cup qualifiers on the horizon.
Growing Injury List
Pedri’s setback adds to an already worrying injury list for Hansi Flick. Barcelona are currently without Gavi, Raphinha, Joan Garcia, and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. The club will take solace in the recent return to training of Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, but Flick’s options remain stretched as the team fights to keep pace in La Liga and the Champions League.
Flick admitted after the defeat to Real Madrid that fatigue and rotation have been major challenges: “We’ve had too many injuries at key times. It’s difficult to build rhythm when players are constantly missing, but we have to adapt and trust our squad depth.”
Title Challenge Under Pressure
Barcelona currently sit second in La Liga, five points behind leaders Real Madrid, and face a demanding schedule before the winter break. Without Pedri, Flick will likely turn to Ilkay Gündogan, Fermin Lopez, or Frenkie de Jong.
For Pedri, the focus will once again shift to recovery and prevention. Both club and player will be cautious to avoid rushing his return, given the repeated nature of his injuries.
As Barcelona aim to stay in the title race and progress in Europe, losing their midfield heartbeat could prove costly both in results and morale.
