Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said it’s “not good news” after losing Pedri to a hamstring injury in Wednesday’s 4-2 Champions League win away at Slavia Prague.
Fermรญn Lรณpez scored a brace, with Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski also on target on a freezing cold night in Prague, but the victory was tainted by Pedri being forced off early in the second half.
The Spain midfielder will undergo tests back in Barcelona on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.
“I don’t know what he has exactly, but it’s the hamstring,” Flick revealed in the postgame news conference. “It is what it is. Sometimes these things happen. I don’t know how long he will be out. It’s not good news. We will see [on Thursday].”
Pedri, who endured several injury problems in the early years of his career, has largely stayed fit since Flick came in as Barรงa coach in 2024.
However, he missed five games with a hamstring issue earlier this season and another game in December with a calf problem.
Without Pedri for most of the second half, Barรงa secured a vital win in their bid to finish in the top eight of the Champions League league phase, thus securing a direct route to the round of 16.
Fermรญn, who scored a hat trick in the win against Olympiacos, starred with a first-half brace after Vasil Kuลกej’s opener for the hosts, taking his tally in this season’s competition to five goals.
“Fermรญn is a fantastic player,” Flick said. “It was important for him and the club that he stayed here last summer because he came through at Barcelona, he lives for Barรงa.
“I appreciate a lot what I saw today.”
A Lewandowski own goal levelled things up again before the break, but Olmo, who replaced the injured Pedri, edged Barรงa back ahead in the 63rd minute. Lewandowski then scored at the right end, converting Marcus Rashford‘s cross, to wrap up the three points with 20 minutes to go.
Barรงa, who host Copenhagen in their final league phase game next week, climb to ninth with the victory and know that another win next week will likely see them move into the top eight and avoid the knockout round, which includes teams from ninth to 24th.
“It won’t be easy to beat Copenhagen,” Flick warned. “We don’t know if Ferran [Torres] will be back, maybe Pedri won’t play now, Frenkie [de Jong] will be suspended.
“But we will get Lamine [Yamal] back, it’s true, and we have a good opportunity to make the top eight. We didn’t start the Champions League well, but with one game left, we have a chance to be where we want to be still.”
Yamal missed the win over Slavia on Wednesday due to a suspension for yellow-card accumulation.
