LALIGA
Barcelona and Xavi Hernández confirm Pedri return from injury for LaLiga game against Real Sociedad
The Spain midfielder hasn’t played for Barça since August but has been named in the squad after recovering from a thigh issue.
Barcelona’s injury issues over the last few weeks have been well documented, but head coach Xavi Hernández is getting closer and closer to having a full set of first-team players to choose from, as proved by his squad list for Saturday’s LaLiga fixture away to Real Sociedad.
Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Koundé were all named as substitutes in last weekend’s Clásico defeat to Real Madrid, with the Pole and the Brazilian coming off the bench in the second half. Seven days later, it will be Pedri’s turn to make his long-awaited comeback.
When was Pedri’s last appearance? How many games has he missed?
The 20-year-old hasn’t played a single minute of soccer since 20 August, when he scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Cádiz at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. A few days later, however, he suffered a thigh injury in training and hasn’t been since, missing nine league games and three Champions League fixtures.
That streak, however, stops now. Barcelona named their squad for the trip to San Sebastián on Friday, with Pedri’s name sticking out like a sore thumb after his lengthy absence. Lewandowski, Raphina and Koundé are also in once more, which can only mean they have fully recovered from their own fitness issues.
Pedri at “100%” but de Jong still not ready
Shortly after, Xavi revealed in his pre-match press conference that Pedri was “available and at 100%” and “looked ready”, calling the youngster’s return “great news for the team”.
As expected, fellow midfielder Frenkie de Jong won’t feature in the Basque Country because of an ongoing ankle injury, with the Barça coach stating the plan to bring him back into action will depend entirely on how the Dutchman is feeling over the next few days.