‘He won’t be available‘ — Hansi Flick confirms €140m Barcelona star will miss Villarreal clash | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are set to close out a highly successful 2025, a year in which they re-established themselves as one of the most feared and competitive teams in Europe. The Blaugranes will face Villarreal in their final match of the year, another high-flying team in Spain this season.

All players are expected to put in a strong performance, but one key absence has been confirmed. Midfielder Pedri will not feature against Villarreal after missing training on Friday due to injury.

As SPORT has reported, Hansi Flick addressed the situation in his pre-match press conference at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, confirming the €140 million-rated midfielder’s condition and expressing his frustration.

“He won’t be available. I’m not happy about this, but he is injured. He will not be available. I don’t like it, and I’m not happy. He should be ready for the derby, I think. It’s a quadriceps problem.”

The German coach added that while Pedri could technically play, the risk of aggravating his injury is high:

“The risk is high—he could play, but there would be a risk, and he could be out for two months. He is undergoing treatment. We have decided that we don’t want to take risks. We will need him for the return against Espanyol and the Supercup.”

Pedri has been one of Barcelona’s most important players and has featured heavily over the past year. The toll of such intense physical activity is understandable, but the hope is that his injury is not serious and that he will return to the squad soon.

Meanwhile, there is good news for Flick and Barcelona. Robert Lewandowski is fully fit and available for selection against Villarreal:

“He is ready and an option for tomorrow. He can play. We didn’t want to take risks in the Cup, but now he is available, and that’s good news.”

FC Barcelona will hope to close out the year with a strong performance against Villarreal while carefully managing the fitness of key players as they prepare for a busy start to 2026.