What Now For FC Barcelona In Light Of Pedri’s Lengthy Injury?

Pedri is injured for FC Barcelona, what now for the Catalans?

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FC Barcelona lost more than just the Clasico to Real Madrid on Sunday, as per reports confirmed by the club on Wednesday.

Madrid were the better team at the Bernabeu in club football’s biggest fixture, and deserved to end the afternoon with a 2-1 win and five point advantage over its eternal rival.

Barca lost a four-game win streak at Los Blancos’ expense, with two of those victories in finals during the 2024/2025 season on the way to a domestic treble, and also midfielder Pedri.

While we already new at full time that Pedri would miss Elche on Saturday because of picking up a second yellow card which equaled a red in the dying minutes, RAC1 and MARCA reported bad news on Wednesday afternoon.

The Catalan and Spanish outlets reported that the Spain midfielder had picked up a muscle knock, which the club later confirmed to be a “a tear in the distal biceps femoris muscle in his left thigh”.

“The player’s recovery will dictate his return to action,” the Blaugrana added, as different newspapers put his recovery time at anything from three weeks to five.

What is for certain is that we won’t see the number 8 on the pitch until after the international break, whether that means he will return either against Athletic Club in La Liga on September 22 or at Stamford Bridge when Flick’s men visit Stamford Bridge a few days later for a Champions League clash.

What now for FC Barcelona?

It’s pretty much guaranteed that Pedri will be out for Elche at the weekend, a road trip to Club Brugge and also Celta Vigo on the 9th of next month, which gives his German manager a dilemma to solve regarding his midfield.

By keeping the same system, Frenkie de Jong needs a partner which could be either Marc Casado or Marc Bernal.

While the pair of Catalan, La Masia pearls were a duo in the opening part of last season, Bernal rupturing his ACL and De Jong dislodging Casado on his own return from injury broke up their partnership.

They could fight for a spot alongside the Dutchman, but Fermin Lopez could also be a more retreated option if Lamine plays as the central attacking midfielder in a 10 role which we saw towards the end of El Clasico.

That would free up a space on the right wing possibly filled by Roony Bardghji, and while the Mancunian has said he prefers the left, Marcus Rashford is also an option there should FC Barcelona’s number 9 be Robert Lewandowski or Ferran Torres.