Hansi Flick faces a dilemma as Barcelona star Pedri is sidelined for a month: Who can step up in his role?
Following several inconsistencies throughout the season, Barcelona secured a crucial victory against Slavia Praha in the Champions League. While this result keeps them alive in the competition, the team did not emerge entirely unscathed. Coach Hansi Flick now faces a tough challenge with Pedri sidelined for a month due to injury. Fans are now left wondering who will take his place in the starting lineup.
As reported by Barcelona in X, formerly Twitter, “tests conducted this morning have confirmed that first team player Pedro González “Pedri” has a right hamstring injury, which he picked up during the game against Slavia Prague yesterday. The recovery time is expected to be one month.” With this in mind, coach Hansi Flick will be forced to redistribute his midfield during his absence, as no new players are expected to arrive in the next weeks.
Far from finding a single player to answer Pedri’s absence, Hansi Flick must explore various alternatives depending on the opponent. If Barcelona seek a strong offensive projection, the coach might enlist Dani Olmo to accompany Frenkie de Jong at the base. However, if they aim for more balance in midfield, he could position the Dutchman in Pedri’s role while utilizing either Marc Casadó or Marc Bernal as defensive specialists.
Not only do Barcelona have players capable of stepping up in Pedri’s absence, but the team is also facing a relatively favorable schedule. With his return expected in about a month, FC Copenhagen and Girona represent the most challenging opponents during that period. Being clearly superior to both sides, Hansi Flick should not have many problems maintaining a winning run and remaining competitive on all fronts.
Flick’s Barcelona face challenge to boost bench competitiveness
Hansi Flick has propelled Barcelona into one of the best teams in the world, dominating the midfield and shining in attack. The coach has achieved this by maintaining a consistent lineup, where Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Pau Cubarsí, and Joan García continue to perform at a high level. Because of this, the absence of any of these players exposes the team, leading to dropped points and/or an accumulation of defeats.
With this in mind, it becomes very difficult for the Blaugranas to compete for the UEFA Champions League or La Liga, as teams such as Arsenal, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSG, among others, remain competitive despite the absence of key players. For this reason, Pedri’s absence will be the perfect opportunity for Hansi to seek to create ideal stability and move away from relying solely on his stars, as injuries can put their competitiveness at risk.