Barcelona midfielder Pedri suffers hamstring injury against Manchester United

The Blaugrana playmaker went down hurt towards the end of the first half against the Red Devils and was substituted with Sergi Roberto.

file photo of Barcelona midfielder Pedri; Credit: Twitter/ @FCBarcelona
By Sreejith C R | Feb 17, 2023 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Barcelona midfielder Pedri suffered a hamstring during his team’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United in the first leg of the Europa League last-32 clash at Camp Nou on Thursday. The club have confirmed that the 20-year-old injured his rectus femoris muscle (hamstring) and further tests will be required to determine the full extent of the injury. Spanish newspaper AS report Pedri could be sidelined for as long as four weeks, which will be a huge blow to the Catalan outfit, as they travel to Old Trafford for the second leg next week and are set to play Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, early in March.  

Busquets and Dembele also injured

The Blaugrana playmaker went down hurt towards the end of the first half against the Red Devils and was substituted with Sergi Roberto. Barcelona are already without Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembele. Head coach Xavi was quoted after the game: “We lost Pedri due to the Calendar. It’s very demanding, which is why rotation is very important, especially for those players playing all time, to avoid these injuries but a lot is at stake in the last four months of the season.” Busquets is sidelined with an ankle injury and is expected to be fit for the second leg in England. But Dembele might be reportedly out for close to five weeks, having suffered a rectus femoris injury.

Gavi suspended for the second leg

Pedri is arguably the best midfielder in world football right now and he has been a key figure in Barcelona’s stunning domestic form, winning six consecutive La Liga games and sitting at the summit of the Spanish top flight standings, eight points clear of the chasing pack. The 20-year-old has scored six goals in 19 league-games and his latest scalp came in the 1-0 win over Villarreal on Sunday. Meanwhile, his midfield partner Gavi will also not miss the trip to England next week because of a yellow card suspension, which will be a huge cause for concern for Xavi. 

Read more: Barcelona vs Manchester United: Twitter reacts as the first leg of the Europa League playoff tie ends in a thrilling 2-2 draw

Barcelona 2-2 Manchester united

Thursday’s encounter in Catalonia was a pulsating affair that saw both sides going hard at each other. All the four goals were scored in the second half. Xavi’s side broke the deadlock through Marcos Alonso’s 50th-minute header, before Marcus Rashford equalised two minutes later. Rashford helped United take the lead as his cross was turned into his own net by JulesKounde, but Raphinha’s lone-ranger made the score 2-2.  Erik ten Hag will be the happier of the two managers as the play switched to Old Trafford for the second leg next week.





Related Post

HIGHLIGHTS

Buzzwords