Injured Barcelona star shows mentality change after Champions League top-8 qualification | OneFootball

FC Barcelona needed to win against Copenhagen on Matchday 8 in the Champions League to secure a top-eight berth. They started the night just outside it in ninth and had climbed to fifth by the end.

This comes as a massive relief to Flick’s men. The last thing they wanted was to add a couple of difficult knockout ties to an already congested calendar, and they have managed to avoid that. Now, they get to put their feet up and watch other teams go for it.

Furthermore, according to SPORT, another benefit of Barcelona’s top-eight qualification is the chance to give Pedri ample time to recover from his recent injury without any pressure. The Canary Islander picked it up against Slavia Praha a week ago.

At the time, it was revealed that Barcelona expected Pedri to return after a month, which would have made it very tight for him to make a hypothetical play-off round. Thankfully, the team has taken that out of the equation.

Additionally, the report from SPORT outlines that, unlike previous instances, Pedri has shown a lot of mental strength this time with the injury, fully aware that he is likely to return when the crucial games come around. The only important game he is expected to miss will be the Albacete tie in the Copa del Rey.

Pedri has had his fair share of injury issues throughout his career. It is easy to lose peace over another hamstring problem, but the Spaniard must take solace in the fact that he is in a very good position to recover ahead of the big games.

There is still no fixed date for Pedri’s return to the pitch, but if his recovery progresses as planned and there is no setback, Barcelona could soon welcome him back refreshed and ready for the defining games of the season.