Returning Barcelona star will likely play 20-25 minutes vs Real Sociedad tonight

The medical discharge of Pedri has served as a massive boost for Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, who now has most of his key players back from the infirmary.

The Spaniard was given the green light this week. He subsequently made it into the squad that will take on Real Sociedad, later tonight.

Pedri to play 20-25 minutes vs Real Sociedad

Following his inclusion in the squad, expectations are high that Pedri will make his much-awaited return to the pitch against Real Sociedad tonight.

According to SPORT, the Barcelona superstar is in contention to play around 20-25 minutes against the Txuri-Urdin.

This will serve as an excellent opportunity for the young midfielder to get some much-needed on-field experience before he prepares for a tricky period ahead.

An appearance against Real Sociedad could particularly help Pedri gain rhythm ahead of the upcoming game versus Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League next week in Hamburg.

Will Pedri start against Shakhtar?

Whether or not Pedri will start against the Ukrainian giants in the Champions League next week will largely depend on how he fares tonight.

If the response from the midfielder is good, he could be in line to start next week. However, Barcelona are likely to proceed with caution.

Having spent over two months on the sidelines, Pedri does require a bit of on-field action before he is ready to start matches.

But one thing is for sure – Pedri’s return could go a long way in boosting Barça’s creativity in the middle of the park. His partnership with Ilkay Gundogan, in particular, will be a thing worth looking forward to during the rest of the campaign.

Apart from Pedri, Xavi, meanwhile, is also expecting to have players like Frenkie de Jong and Sergi Roberto back in the team, over the coming weeks.