€150m Barcelona star is now being carefully managed by Flick after risks against Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

FC Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez was a visionary for claiming that the team with Pedri was completely different from one without Pedri. The Spanish midfielder is one of the best players in the world, and when he is not available, the team tends to miss him dearly.

Now, as per Diario AS, Barcelona are clearly handling Pedri with far greater care this season, with Hansi Flick having now drawn firm red lines around the midfielder’s workload after earlier admitting the club had taken risks with him.

The shift appears to have become especially visible in recent weeks. After the Copa clash against Atletico Madrid, Flick openly said Barcelona had taken a risk with Pedri and were fortunate nothing happened.

Since then, the €150 million-rated midfielder’s minutes have been managed much more tightly: he played only 45 minutes against Athletic Club, 70 against Newcastle, and just the first half against Sevilla.

Flick himself explained after the Sevilla game that the plan had been for Pedri to play 45 minutes, adding that the club does not yet know when he will be ready to play a full 90 regularly and stressing that caution is necessary because he has already had two injuries.

Pedri has completed the full match in only 12 of the 31 games he has played this campaign. In another 12 matches, he was substituted, while in seven, he came off the bench. By contrast, last season he played 90 minutes or more in 27 of the 59 matches he featured in, and in 15 more he was only withdrawn after the 80th minute.

This more controlled approach comes partly in the context of his physical problems, which have already caused him to miss 13 matches this season. Pedri and the club have worked on changes to his preparation, including strength work and a more individualized routine, after a fiber study carried out in a Baltimore laboratory.

For Barcelona, the message is obvious. Pedri remains one of the team’s most important players, but the priority now is to preserve him for the decisive stretch of the season rather than push him beyond safe limits. Right now, Flick seems determined to manage the midfielder with far more restraint than before.