Pedri’s injury-related absence could not have come at a worse time for Barcelona or Spain. However, for anyone who argues that Barcelona and the European champions rely too heavily on their young genius in midfield, it has come at the perfect time to test the contenders for his throne. It’s also a great moment to examine how coaches Hansi Flick and Luis de la Fuente will try to cope in the coming weeks as Pedri recovers from a thigh injury.
Here are the stark facts: Barcelona are five points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid and outside the top eight in the Champions League – meaning they would have to enter the play-off round if they are still there at the end of the league stage – but they need to play Celta Vigo, Real Betis, Club Brugge and Club World Cup champions Chelsea away from home without their best player of the season. In fact, he has arguably been the best midfielder in Europe this season.
Spain, whose last two wins were Man of the Match Pedri, need good results away to Georgia and at home to Turkey to ensure they win Group E and qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A draw (or defeat) in Tbilisi with Turkey having won their last two matches, including against Spain in Seville later this month, will see them leave. Red Second place in the group and will need to compete next March against the other two runners-up.
Unlikely? Yes, but most likely without Pedri.
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If you watch this bold and cheerful man from the Canary Islands who turns 23 in a couple of weeks, you will already be nodding your head in agreement. He is a special football player. Problem solver, unpicker from midfield. Ball loves him very much, and is looking for him. Pedri is a solution man, a player specifically designed to complement strikers who are eager to get on the ball in advantageous situations. It’s a cold drink in the desert.
With Pedri dominating the midfield in the first two home games of the season, the team had 71% of possession in the 3-0 win over Getafe and in the 6-0 win over Valencia – their biggest win of the season – 72% possession. But this was the norm. Even in the defeat away to Real Madrid, which is superior in… classicFlick’s team had approximately 69% of possession at the Bernabéu. This partly explains why the more threatening, competitive and quicker Real Madrid scored only two goals instead of the six or seven they threatened to score. After all, you need the ball, even if not in large quantities, to score goals when you beat your opponents.
With Pedri missing from the weekend’s match against newly promoted Elche, the Spanish champions lost the possession battle by 49% to 51%. A truly dramatic takedown. Elche used this ball not only to score, but to hit the woodwork twice, despite their 3-1 loss (Stream the replay on ESPN+ in the US). Even Elche’s own match report on their official website said: “Pedri’s absence forced Frenkie de Jong to ‘double himself’ and when he felt tired in the final third of the match, Barcelona was unable to keep the ball, threaten us or play consistently.” Their competitors know.
LaLiga ranks Pedri as the man who has made the most passes (893) this season even after missing 90 minutes on Sunday. Football specialist newspaper Marca listed him as the third-highest player in La Liga in terms of ‘recovery’ possession (behind Álvaro Carreras and Luis Milla, who each played more games) with 65 wins. In Europe, Champions League statistics show that Pedri is outside the top five midfielders in terms of passes completed/accurate/completed this season (193), but he has a higher passing accuracy (94.3%) than all players who have completed more passes than him. This means they have been up the pitch more and passing the ball more, but Pedri remains the most successful and accurate of any midfielder in the Champions League this season.
Those who care about Barcelona will be disturbed by the memory of Xavi’s final season, and how they tried to defend their La Liga title without Pedri. The midfielder missed three times through injury during the 2023-24 season, costing him 131 days and 25 appearances for club and country. Barcelona lost both Classics That year – one when he was out injured and the other when he had just returned but was nowhere near full match fitness.
Indeed, the number of points given up by Pedri’s absence or his return to play for a few minutes is exactly the difference by which Real Madrid, led by Carlo Ancelotti, won the title (10). To tie the tape on all this, the only two matches that De La Fuente lost as Spain coach within 90 minutes (Euro 2024 qualifier in Scotland and a friendly against Colombia) took place while Pedri was out due to injury.
Coincidences? Judge for yourselves.
While Pedri recovers, De Jong’s new natural partner is Mark Casado. Do you remember him? He provided absolutely brilliant assists for Robert Lewandowski and Rafinha against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at this stage last season – as well as a five-star MVP performance on his first start for Spain in the 3-2 win over Switzerland in Tenerife.
The 22-year-old Catalan is different from the magician he apprentices to. He tends to play as a deeper midfielder, someone who doesn’t hold the ball much, but is more dedicated to defensive organisation. He is clever with his quick distribution, and a Tasmanian Devil at striker. In all respects, Casado is a joy to watch and a die-hard fan of the club he plays for.
When named in the starting line-up, Casado will free up De Jong – or Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez or Marc Bernal, all of whom can play as a No. 8 in a midfield double – to push forward, break lines, and connect with the attackers. It’s a big opportunity. One he longed for, the other needed the help of a sports psychologist in order to wait patiently.
“I’m very ambitious, and that can sometimes backfire,” Casado told Mundo Deportivo. “You get frustrated and stressed when you don’t have opportunities to play. My family and friends calmed me down a lot, and finding a sports psychologist helped me when I was doing my best, but didn’t get playing time. It frustrated me a lot.”
“In my head, I kept telling myself that if I don’t get the opportunity, it’s because I didn’t really try my best. It’s very frustrating.” He knows That I was doing everything in my power, but at the same time, to hear the voice of the subconscious that I could offer more!
“Working with professionals helped me stay calmer because not everything depends on you. You can do your best, the coach doesn’t trust you, he doesn’t use you. You have to stay calm in your work and keep doing the same thing.”
I won’t yield to anyone in my view that although Pedri is a completely different creative force and, on his day, the best midfielder in the world, Casado is truly exceptional. Smart, fast, strong, talented and competitive, many clubs would bite Barcelona’s hand to get him.
Whether there is enough time for Casado to unseat others in the Spanish national team depends on the fitness of available legends such as Fabian Ruiz and Rodri, having struggled in the last few months. Mikel Merino and Martin Zobimendi will also be front of the queue, with Olmo and Fermin (now fit) favored by de la Fuente.
Opportunity tempts individuals, but there is also a high level of uncertainty for Barcelona and Spain. It’s time for club and country to prove that despite appearances to the contrary, they do not suffer from dependence on Pedri at all.
