Barca News
He went around the world in that 2019/20 season in which a boy of just 18, already a starter at Barça and the Spanish national team, broke the record for most games in a single season, playing up to 73 matches. The last of that season was Spain’s elimination from the European Championship against Italy in the penalty shootout, but Pedri , apart from the loss of the continental title, still remembers that season for another reason.
The canary was physically burned and, since then, both he and FC Barcelona are paying for that record which, beyond admirable, also counting several extensions, was tremendously damaging to a physical state every time in more doubt at his club.
The last two muscle injuries of the ‘8’ culer occurred during training and the last one was due to a mere blow. In addition, in the case of Pedri, his importance to Xavi Hernández is crucial and his last two returns to the pitch have taken longer than expected.
After 4 different injuries, all muscular, Pedri will close this 2023 after 194 days injured . The last occurred last December 18, causing him to miss – for now – only one match, but, in total, Tegueste has missed a total of 28 matches in the calendar year. These figures contribute to the concern of the club and of Barcelona fans in general, given that the fragility of their midfielder comes precisely from 2021.
Previously, injuries were not counted as a professional, being everything that came afterwards a real drama for a player that no one disputes that he will mark an era at the club. However, and how could it not be otherwise, a file that is already starting to be really worrying threatens his future, not at the club, but on the pitch of the Camp Nou as a regular starter.
Pedri is capital, but he can’t play everything. His legs say enough, but Barça cannot afford to dose him, even though it has been shown that he does not have another one left. In fact, although in a much more unfortunate and somehow more chance-dependent way, Gavi and his knee have also.
In his case, it will be 8 or 9 months in a row that he will remain away from the ball, but Pedri, in deferred periods, has already lost this competition time in, let’s remember, only two years. Looking to the future, all that remains is to knock on wood.
Source: El Nacional
