Why Pedri’s Injures Might Be Dangerous for His Career

Supporters of Barcelona can already testify to a dwindle in expectations regarding the performances of star midfielder, Pedri. Having missed out on a large chunk of the previous season through injuries – one which was successful for the club in many ways – his consistency for an entire season is being questioned by many fans.

Various forms of speculations have surrounded the reasons behind his frequent unavailability, some of which might include an improper training schedule for a player who tends to get weary easily. The medical department of the club has also come under fire in recent times, firmly criticized for their incongruous treatment of players like Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembélé and most recently, Pedri.

The Barcelona midfielder is now set for a couple more weeks on the side-line after he and Frenkie de Jong were subbed out due to injury in their La Liga fixture against Athletic Club early in March. While de Jong’s situation is easily comprehended by the club and its supporters, Pedri’s situation is raising alarms, leaving many to wonder if his Barcelona career can carry on should these unfortunate absences persist.

Pedri’s Injury Records

Since signing for the Catalan giants as a 16-year-old lad from Las Palmas in 2019, Pedri González has missed more than 70 competitive matches due to injury. However, this has not always been the case as he was believed to have been over-used by the club in his first season with them. Playing 73 games for both club and country, his ill-fated experiences recently are still been attributed to his over-worked and significantly under-recovered foremost season.

A track from his injury records now indicates that Pedri has repeatedly suffered hamstring problems and a few muscular issues. According to his gaffer, Xavi Hernandez, the club’s medical team seemed to have it all under control until he went down again against Bilbao after what looked like a delightful forward pass to Raphinha.

He is expected to return in the middle of April but will miss a crucial game against Atlético Madrid, having already missed out on most of the club’s UEFA Champions League campaign. His return just in time for El Clásico is still in doubts as many would not be counting on him for the long-run should he be rushed back into action.

Pedri’s national teammate and Aston Villa defender, Pau Torres openly blamed Barcelona for the predicaments of the young midfielder after criticizing the club’s recovery scheme for the player. In an interview with Relevo in 2023 he revealed that: “If Barca had decided to give him his rest time, I think that Pedri, today, would be better physically, because he has been suffering from injuries since that moment. I think he is not enjoying football, and neither is Spanish football, because it is a different player that Spain and La Liga need.

“Pedri returned [from the Olympic Games] and started the season. He simply stopped for a week, during the first national team break, it seems to me. Unfortunately, he didn’t finish recovering from that moment and it is something that he carries with him.”

Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta believes that the managers who played him as a youngster have contributed the most to his recent injury woes.

“In a year Pedri might have played a record number of games: league, Euros, Olympics, everything. It’s about need. [Ronald] Koeman played him because he considered him fundamental. The Euros was the same, the Olympics too.”

“He’s a young kid who wants to play, take on the world. So, you put him on the pitch. You can ask whether that’s a good thing, whether he should be left out, but in elite sport, it’s not so easy. From the outside it looks easy. ‘Don’t play him! Don’t go to the Olympics! Only play half the games at the Euros!’ But actually, doing that is hard.”

Examining the Future

Ansu Fati was loaned out of the club due to his absence from many games as a result of injuries and chances of a return to the club are getting slimmer every day. While many might argue against this motion for Pedri, it is difficult to not imagine it should he be unable to revive his longevity as a player.

İlkay Gündoğan, Fermin López and Andreas Christensen have enjoyed moments playing in midfield this season and with De Jong completing the pile-up of rankings, Pedri would have to stick around for a long while to restore his prominence. Sadly, many football fans have short memories and will instantly forget your good works if you can’t keep reminding them of your actual worth.

Such was the case with Ansu, when his confidence looked like it had taken a knock. Although, some believed the club was impatient with their attempts to restore his zest and opposed his loan move, the truth remains; in an elite club, especially one which seems to be doing everything in its wherewithal to return to the summit of European football, sacrifices will be made and it can be really controversial.

Injuries have played a crucial role in determining the shape of the season so far and Pedri hasn’t been the only victim. Yet, with a knowledge of how constant his injuries have become, fans have the right to worry.