Barcelona’s coach Hansi Flick expressed concern after losing Pedri to a hamstring injury during Wednesday’s 4-2 Champions League victory against Slavia Prague. He remarked that this situation is “not good news.”
Fermín López netted two goals, with contributions from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski on a frigid night in Prague. However, the result was overshadowed by Pedri’s early exit in the second half.
The Spain midfielder will undergo medical tests in Barcelona on Thursday to assess the extent of his injury.
Flick commented during the post-match press conference, “I don’t know the exact details, but it’s a hamstring issue. These things happen sometimes. I’m unsure how long he will be sidelined. It’s disappointing news. We’ll find out more on Thursday.”
Despite facing various injury challenges early in his career, Pedri has mostly maintained his fitness since Flick took over as coach in 2024. He did have to miss five matches earlier this season due to a hamstring problem and another in December because of a calf issue.
Playing without Pedri for a significant portion of the second half, Barça managed a crucial win in their pursuit of a top-eight finish in the Champions League group phase, which would secure a direct progression to the round of 16.
Fermín, who previously scored a hat trick against Olympiacos, shone with a first-half brace after Vasil Kušej opened the scoring for Slavia. This performance brought his goal tally in this season’s competition to five.
“Fermín is an incredible player,” Flick praised. “It was vital for him and the club that he remained with us last summer, as he’s a homegrown talent who embodies Barça.”
Flick added, “I was really impressed with what I saw today.”
A Lewandowski own goal had initially leveled the match before halftime, but Olmo, who came on for the injured Pedri, restored Barça’s lead in the 63rd minute. Lewandowski then found the net at the right end, converting a cross from Marcus Rashford to secure the victory with 20 minutes remaining.
With this win, Barça moves up to ninth place in the standings and knows that a victory against Copenhagen in their final league phase game next week will likely secure a top-eight finish and avoid the knockout round, featuring teams placed ninth to 24th.
“Beating Copenhagen won’t be easy,” Flick cautioned. “We’re unsure if Ferran [Torres] will return, and now it seems Pedri might not play; Frenkie [de Jong] is suspended.”
“However, we will have Lamine [Yamal] back, and we still have a great opportunity to reach the top eight. Our Champions League start wasn’t ideal, but we still have a chance with one game remaining.”
Yamal missed the match against Slavia due to suspension from yellow card accumulation.