FC Barcelona has received a huge injury blow for their match against Almeria on Wednesday.
FC Barcelona has received a huge injury blow ahead of Wednesday's La Liga clash against Almeria, as reported on by outlets including SPORT and Mundo Deportivo.
Pedri hasn't been back in the first XI for long since suffering a hamstring knock at the end of August that kept him out until early November.
The Spain international missed 12 matches in total, as Barca suffered their first defeat of the season to bitter rivals Real Madrid in an October 28 installment of El Clasico.
With the 21-year-old back in the center of the park, Barca hasn't fared much better but at least guaranteed passage to the Champions League knockout phase for the first time since 2021 with a 2-1 comeback win over Porto a fortnight ago.
A heavy defeat against Girona followed not long after, though, and Barca are now nine points behind their Catalan neighbors at the summit while appearing to be at great risk of ceding their La Liga crown thanks to Saturday's 1-1 draw against Valencia.
One positive to take from the stalemate were the performances of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, who appear to be gelling with Ilkay Gundogan in Barca's best possible midfield three with Gavi out injured.
Now Gundogan looks set to go it alone, however, perhaps alongside Oriol Romeu and Fermin Lopez, when Almeria visit the Montjuic Stadium on Wednesday in Barca's last competitive match of 2023.
De Jong is suspended thanks to getting booked for throwing his boot on the Mestalla turf when believing he deserved a free kick. And as explained by various local outlets in Catalonia and Spain, Pedri has now been ruled out with "muscle discomfort" which will prevent him from being available to head coach Xavi Hernandez for the must-win game.
Mundo Deportivo explains that "considering Pedri's history of muscle injuries, the coaching staff and medical department do not want to take any risks with the midfielder's physical condition and that is why he will rest in these next two Barca matches."
This means that Pedri will also play no part in a Dallas friendly against Club America on December 21. But he could be fit in time for Barca's maiden fixture of the year on January 4, which is a homecoming trip for him to boyhood outfit Las Palmas.
