Alarm bells at Barcelona as Pedri suffers right hamstring issue | OneFootball

FC Barcelona secured a 4-2 victory on a challenging, cold night in Czechia, but the win was overshadowed by a worrying incident around the hour mark.

The Catalans were defending a counter-attack against a side who had already scored twice, and in the aftermath, Pedri collapsed, holding the back of his leg and immediately signalling to the bench. He was seen touching his right hamstring.

It quickly became clear he could not continue, and Dani Olmo replaced him. Hansi Flick threw his head back in disappointment when he realised it was a muscle injury. Pedri headed straight down the tunnel, which is never a good sign.

According to SPORT, the initial impressions are not encouraging. Judging by Pedri’s expression, it appears to be a muscle injury of some seriousness.

His immediate reaction suggested he knew something was seriously wrong, reinforcing concerns given his past issues with muscular problems. He will undergo further tests in Barcelona to determine the exact extent of the injury.

Even before the injury, the midfielder was having a difficult game and was not at his fluent best. His partner, Frenkie de Jong, was the one running the show, and one wonders whether Pedri was at 100% coming into this fixture.

There is no sugar-coating how big a blow this would be for Hansi Flick and Barcelona if it is confirmed that Pedri has a serious problem. The Spaniard is fundamental to the team’s play style, and a prolonged absence could be catastrophic.

Just when everything seemed to be coming together for Barcelona, things now appear to be falling apart. For the moment, all that can be done is to wait for the prognosis and hope this latest setback does not sideline Pedri for long.