Barcelona bounced back from their 2-1 La Liga loss at Real Sociedad with a 4-2 win against Slavia Praha in the UEFA Champions League earlier this Wednesday, Jan. 21. However, one Blaugrana star is set for a lengthy period on the sidelines following the latest victory.
Why is Barcelona Set To Be Without 23-Year-Old Star?
During Barcelona’s European match at Fortune Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, Vasil Kusej opened the scoring for the hosts in the 10th minute. Fermin Lopez scored a fine brace later while Robert Lewandowski’s 44th-minute own goal restored parity for Slavia Praha.
But the Hansi Flick-coached club netted two unanswered goals in the second half, courtesy of Dani Olmo and Lewandowski, to move up to ninth in the Champions League table.
Despite recording a vital away victory, Barcelona were dealt a big blow on Wednesday when star midfielder Pedri was replaced by Olmo in the 61st minute. And, Flick has claimed Pedri sustained a hamstring injury during the continental encounter against Slavia Praha.
“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,” Flick replied when asked to shed light on the extent of the 23-year-old playmaker’s injury.
Pedri, who missed five overall outings in November due to a hamstring issue, has cemented himself as an indispensable player at Barcelona over the past few years. His injury absence could negatively impact his club’s ongoing quest to lift multiple trophies this season.
A right-footed technical midfielder blessed with excellent vision, Pedri has started 21 of his 25 total appearances for the Catalan outfit this campaign. He has found the back of the net twice and provided eight assists, including one against Slavia Praha, so far this term.
READ MORE: Chelsea Enquire About Signing Barcelona-Linked Attacker
On the other hand, Flick showered praise on Pedri’s midfield teammate Lopez for bagging a first half brace in the Blaugrana‘s latest UEFA Champions League league phase clash.
“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 (the club). I appreciate a lot what I saw today,” the former Bayern Munich manager commented.
Lopez, an attacking midfielder by trade, has registered 10 goals and as many assists in 24 matches across all competitions for the reigning La Liga champions this campaign.
