After a strong start to the season, Barcelona have fallen off a little, following back to back defeats at the hands of PSG and Real Madrid.
Injuries have also started to creep in, with Barcelona losing the likes of Xavi Espart, Dani Olmo, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen. This has made it all the more important for Hansi Flick to manage the game-time of key players so they are not overburdened.
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One player Flick has taken great care of this season is Pedri, whose injury history is well documented.
Pedri is a key element in the Barcelona midfield. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Flick has made a concerted effort to protect Pedri throughout the season so far.
Between Barcelona and the Spanish national team, Pedri has featured in 50 of a possible 60 matches, starting 40 of them.
Of the 5,400 minutes available this calendar year, he has played 3,399, or roughly 62 percent, a figure the club views as carefully controlled rather than excessive.
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The management is reflected in how Flick has used him. Pedri has appeared in all 13 games this season but has frequently been withdrawn, making him the most substituted Barcelona player, a deliberate ploy to keep him fresh.
Pedri had an awful outing against Real Madrid. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The flip side, however, is that Pedri’s involvement this term remains high, having played 77.43 percent of the available minutes in 2026-27, a notable jump on earlier in the year.
That wear and tear appeared to tell against Real Madrid, with Flick admitting afterwards that his side “weren’t fresh.” The playmaker endured a rare off night, prompting former Madrid man Rafael van der Vaart to brand his display as “absolutely dreadful.”
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With a cluster of players short of minutes, including Gavi, Gabriel Jesus and the returning Frenkie de Jong, Flick does at least have options to rotate.
The challenge now is finding the right balance, ensuring Pedri stays fit and firing for the long haul without blunting the creativity that makes him so indispensable to this Barcelona side.
