Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has declared that Pedri’s injury is not as bad as initially thought, with hopes that he could be back in time for the Euros this summer with Spain.
The 21-year-old has been hampered by injuries for the past three seasons since bursting onto the scene, and went down again on Sunday against Athletic Club, injuring his right hamstring. Xavi was convinced that they could not have done more to stop the injury from happening.
“What we are trying to do is prevent injuries, I think we have done an impeccable job, especially Pedri. I have already told him that it is the last injury. It is not as serious as first though. I’m sure he will come back and he will be important. He is not the first player that this has happened to.”
Xavi hinted that perhaps Pedri’s recurring injuries could in part be a mental problem.
“No, but this is not the first time that someone has had a lot of injuries at the start of their career and then never gotten injured after that. It is not easy to manage the pressure at his young age, I think there is an issue that he has to convince himself that he will recover and will be fine.”
Xavi: “Of course we can make it in La Liga. And until there are possibilities we will continue to fight. In Bilbao we lost a good chance but we will continue to try.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 7, 2024
Spain Sporting Director visited the Ciutat Esportiva this week to meet with Xavi and Pedri, amid fears that Pedri might miss the Euros this summer.
“The important thing about Pedri is that he is OK. It’s not about returning on the day of the Clasico, nor recovering for the Euros. He doesn’t have to think about anything other than recovering 100%. We are in constant contact with Albert Luque, I have a good relationship. He’s from Terrassa just like me,” Xavi explained.
There had been talk that Pedri might miss the rest of the season and potentially the Euros, in order to give him a lengthy break in order to come back at 100% for next season. The Canary Islander was initially ruled out for five to six weeks, until the latter half of April, but Barcelona will no doubt give him a large runway before he returns to full action.
