Barcelona midfield prodigy will not be called up by La Roja this month

The tandem of international football and club-level action does not leave players with much time to unwind.

The schedule is unforgiving, with a match scheduled every third day more often than not.

Barcelona have played five games since the last international break, winning three and losing twice in the process.

They next face Alaves at the weekend before dispersing once more for the international break.

Pedri’s delicate situation

Pedri Gonzalez’s injury late in August came as a big blow to Xavi Hernandez’s plans. After all, he was Barcelona’s primary asset in midfield for his buildup play with his incisive passes and

After a long hiatus, the 20-year-old finally returned to action in the Catalans’ clash against Real Sociedad earlier this month.

He also made a came appearance in the defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk, but it is clear that he is far from fully game-fit.

According to reports from MARCA, Luis de La Fuente spoke to Pedri and Barcelona about the player’s situation and discussed the possibilities for the upcoming international hiatus.

The three parties agreed that it was best not to call him up and wait until he reached an optimal physical condition.

Pedri will thus not be called up by La Roja later this month. Fermin Lopez, instead, has great chances of making the cut.

Both parties to blame

Pedri rose to prominence in the 2020-21 season following his move to Barcelona from Las Palmas. His talent was evident from the get-go, and earned him a starting place under the manager quickly.

The youngster soon established himself as a regular even for the Spanish national team and played a crucial role in their deep run in the 2021 EUROs. At a tender age, he already has 18 caps with La Roja.

The Canary Islander, however, has faced back-to-back injuries in recent times with no respite, and many blame his reckless use and unregulated game time to be the reason for the same.

Needless to say, both Barcelona and the Spanish national team are to blame on that front, and they must exercise caution with him going forward.