Barcelona’s manager, Xavi, holds hope that Robert Lewandowski and Pedri could make appearances in the upcoming Clasico against Real Madrid.
Lewandowski has been sidelined for the team’s past three matches due to an ankle injury, while Pedri has been absent since sustaining a hamstring injury in the second match of the season over two months ago. Although both players have recently returned to training, Xavi remained tight-lipped regarding their potential involvement in the significant Saturday fixture.
When asked about Lewandowski, Xavi mentioned, “[Lewandowski]’s fine, he did the training with a good feeling, but I won’t give anything away here,” he told a press conference. “I’m not going to give a clue.”
Concerning Pedri, the Barcelona manager added, “We don’t want to force anyone, we want to minimise risks. Everyone wants to be there. Tomorrow we’ll see.”
Pedri’s ongoing struggle with various injuries is often linked to the 73 matches he played for both club and country during the 2020/21 season when he was just 18 years old. Xavi acknowledged that this might have contributed to his current challenges, saying, “We will never know; that’s the first thing that comes to mind. It appears to be one of the factors, but injuries are usually complex.
With Pedri, we are on track. Everything is progressing well, and the positive news is that players who were initially projected to recover in five weeks might be ready in three.”
Reports from Mundo Deportivo suggest that Lewandowski and Pedri were seen training alongside the returning pair of Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kounde. However, whether any of them will be fit in time for El Clasico remains uncertain. In fact, AS reports that both Lewandowski and De Jong have resorted to pain-killing injections in their efforts to accelerate their return for the upcoming game.