Barcelona midfielder likely to return against Athletic Club – report

Journalist Alex Pintanel has reported that Barcelona have not set a return date for Pedri as the club wants to leave everything on the player and how he feels.

At the moment, the midfielder is working hard to achieve match fitness and it remains to be seen if he will be available for selection against Athletic Club on October 22.

Pedri has not featured for Barcelona ever since scoring a goal against Cadiz in a 2-0 win in August. 

“Pedri suffers discomfort in the rectus femoris of his right thigh. His evolution will determine his availability,” read a statement from Barcelona as they shared an update on his injury four days after the Cadiz game.

Return tentative but seems close

The midfielder’s battle with recurrent muscle injuries has raised concern among those in his inner circle. Pedri, in less than six weeks of absence, has been grappling with a series of setbacks, but there’s hope after all.

At the moment, it is said that his rehabilitation is progressing impressively and he can now see a clear path toward recovery. For what it is worth, he recently posted a video on his social media channels where he was seen working with the ball.

It must be noted that Pedri has been absent from a total of nine matches so far, including Wednesday’s fixture against Porto and Sunday’s clash with Granada.

During these nine encounters, Xavi has had to navigate the challenge of fielding his starting eleven without a pivotal midfield contributor.

So when will he return?

While the midfielder’s return is drawing nearer, the club has refrained from establishing a specific return date for him. During the upcoming international break, he will utilize the time to come back to match fitness.

Xavi’s main goal is to ensure his return happens smoothly, without any hustle, and under optimal circumstances. Given Pedri’s history of injuries, the utmost caution will be exercised, with no tolerance for even the slightest risk.

After the international break, Barcelona are scheduled to play three consecutive home matches against Athletic Club, Shakhtar, and Real Madrid. Should Pedri’s current progress persist, there’s a possibility he might make his comeback as early as October 22nd against Athletic Club.

Although the initial plan would be to use him during the latter part of the game, the holistic view would be to give him those minutes so that he can start during the Clasico.