Barcelona have confirmed influential midfielder Pedri is set to be ruled out of action for around a month after he was forced out of a Champions League clash with Slavia Prague. Boss Hansi Flick delivered a worrying update after the game on the Spain international, who completed just over an hour of that continental contest before picking up an injury. His manager admitted “it is not good news” on the fitness front, with the La Liga leaders now without one of their most important players.
Six-goal thriller: Barcelona prevailed in freezing Prague
Pedri played his part in a topsy-turvy encounter that took place on a freezing night in the Czech capital. He saw Barca fall behind early on, before Fermin Lopez turned the tie on its head when netting twice in the space of eight first-half minutes.
The game was all square at the interval as Polish striker Robert Lewandowski put through his own net. Pedri, who had been pulling strings in the middle of the park, had to be replaced by Dani Olmo in the 61st minute.
Barca took the lead again less than two minutes later, as Olmo made an immediate impact, before 37-year-old frontman Lewandowski cancelled out his earlier own goal and opened his European account for 2025-26.
Pedri injury: More hamstring woe for Barcelona star
Speaking about Pedri’s condition after his withdrawal, Flick admitted the outlook appeared bleak. He told reporters when asked for an update on the 23-year-old playmaker: “I don’t know what he has exactly, but it’s the hamstring. It is what it is. Sometimes these things happen. I don’t know how long he will be out. It’s not good news. We will see [on Thursday].”
Pedri endured a number of injury struggles early on at Barca, with muscular problems proving difficult to shake. He has largely steered clear of the treatment table on a regular basis during Flick’s time at the helm. Hamstring issues are not uncommon, though, with five games sat out in October with an ailment of that kind, before missing one in December with a calf complaint.
In a statement released later on Thursday, Barcelona confirmed the damage: “The tests carried out this morning have confirmed that Pedri has suffered a muscle injury in the biceps femoris of his right leg, which he sustained during the match against Slavia Prague. The expected recovery time is one month.”
Fermin Lopez stars again for Barca in the Champions League
Barca did fare admirably without him against Slavia Prague, with Fermin Lopez impressing again after previously registering a Champions League hat-trick against Olympiacos back in October – with the 22-year-old breaking into double figures for goals across all competitions this season.
Flick was full of praise for the Masia academy graduate, saying: “Fermin is a fantastic player. It was important for him and the club that he stayed here last summer because he came through at Barcelona, he lives for Barca. I appreciate a lot what I saw today.”
Barca have moved up to ninth in the Champions League table, with the top eight qualifying automatically for the last 16. They have one game left in which to break into that pack, with FC Copenhagen travelling to Camp Nou on January 28.
Flick is eager to see his side prevail in that contest, with the expectation being that victory will ensure that the Blaugrana remain upwardly mobile and avoid the need for a play-off fixture to keep their continental dreams alive.
Flick said: “It won’t be easy to beat Copenhagen. We don’t know if Ferran [Torres] will be back, maybe Pedri won’t play now, Frenkie [de Jong] will be suspended. But we will get Lamine [Yamal] back, it’s true, and we have a good opportunity to make the top eight. We didn’t start the Champions League well, but with one game left, we have a chance to be where we want to be still.”
Yamal back: Wonderkid to return from suspension
Teenage wonderkid Yamal sat out Barca’s win over Slavia through suspension, having picked up three yellow cards in Champions League action this season. He should be handed an immediate recall for a home date with Real Oviedo on Sunday.
Barcelona head into that contest sat top of the Liga standings, but with Clasico rivals Real Madrid now just one point off the pace. Flick’s men suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Real Sociedad in their last domestic outing, meaning that they are now looking anxiously over their shoulder.
