Pedri set to miss Barcelona’s match against Valencia | OneFootball

Barcelona must win against Valencia if they are to keep their La Liga title hopes alive, but they have been dealt a big blow hours before kick off with news that they are expected to be without one of their most important players.

In recent months, Pedri has been one of Barcelona’s standout performers, and there are plenty of signs that he is returning to the form that he showed prior to his injury problems, which started in 2021. He has even looked to overcome these, and in fact, he has featured in every competitive match that Hansi Flick’s side that played this season – until now.

As reported by MD, it is almost certain that Pedri will not be available for selection when Barcelona take on Valencia at the Estadi Olimpic on Sunday night. The 22-year-old midfielder has been suffering with vomiting and diarrhoea in the last 24 hours, and barring a dramatic change in his health in the lead-up to kick off, he will not be considered by Flick.

Pedri has been a standout performer for Barcelona in recent months (Photo by Goal / Getty Images)

Pedri was expected to start against Valencia, despite hints from Hansi Flick in his pre-match press conference that the Spaniard could be someone that is rested. While it does mean that he can get a well-earned rest after a brutal run of fixtures to start 2025, it is terrible news for Barcelona’s chances of victory against Los Che.

However, it does present an opportunity for someone like Frenkie de Jong to earn a rare start. He is now almost certain to be selected by Flick, and he could line up alongside Marc Casado, who has been ever-present in the centre of midfield this season. Equally, it could mean that Gavi is utilised in a deeper role to accommodate the inclusion of Fermin Lopez or Pablo Torre, with Dani Olmo also unavailable against Valencia because of injury.