Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has, on Thursday evening, provided an insight into the wellbeing of a trio of members of his squad.
Barca, of course, marked their return to action a short time ago.
Unbeaten in 16 across all competitions, Xavi and co. welcomed Manchester United to the Camp Nou, for the first leg of the highly-anticipated Europa League showdown between the two clubs.
And, when all was said and done in Catalunya, the two sides, it is fair to say, did not disappoint.
A pulsating 90 minutes ultimately saw the spoils shared in a 2-2 stalemate, setting the stage for another fascinating affair at Old Trafford in a week’s time.
What a game this is! 🤯
That was clever from Raphinha 🧠#UEL pic.twitter.com/AVgexwxA2b
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 16, 2023
Amid an otherwise fine night of action, however, as alluded to above, one major source of concern was also forthcoming for hosts Barcelona.
With engine room partner in crime Gavi suspended for next week’s return leg at Old Trafford, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of Pedri’s wellbeing was put to Xavi post-match.
And, amid claims in the media that the 20-year-old could be out of action for as long as a month, Barcelona’s boss went on to hint that he will indeed be forced to lean on other options over the weeks to come:
“The next matches without Pedri? We have Gavi, Frenkie, Kessie, Pablo Torre, Roberto… We have alternatives that can add up, but Pedri is a spectacular player and his absence is one of the most important.”
From here, Xavi also provided updates on sidelined pair Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembele, the former of whom, in a major boost, could return to the fray this weekend:
“Busquets could return on Sunday. Dembélé won’t be back yet.”
Xavi: “Busquets could return on Sunday. Dembélé won’t be back yet, and tomorrow we’ll see the final tests on Pedri’s injury.”
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) February 16, 2023
