Midfield on the Brink: Barça's Bold Shuffle Under Flick After Pedri's Injury
30 October 2025
Midfield reshuffle as Pedri injury tests Barça
Barcelona's German coach Hansi Flick is weighing several midfield options after Pedri's hamstring injury and a 1-2 Clasico defeat to Real Madrid last Sunday in La Liga matchday 10.
Barcelona announced on Wednesday that Pedri suffered a hamstring injury, and he was already set to miss the Elche game in round 11 following the Clasico red card.
According to Catalunya Radio, Pedri will miss Barça's next three games and could return after the November international break, though reports also suggest a 4- to 5-week layoff.
Mundo Deportivo highlighted Flick's dilemma, noting that the coach is studying midfield alternatives after Pedri's absence.
15 injuries
Barça has been hit hard by injuries this season. Pedri's setback comes as the latest blow to a squad that has already endured a tally of 15 physical problems, leaving Flick without a key engine in midfield and depriving Frenkie de Jong of a reliable running partner.
The newspaper emphasizes that Pedri's absence doesn't just remove a starter; it unsettles the balance of the midfield on both technical and tactical levels.
With Pedri out, Flick can lean on three midfielders—Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casadó, and Fermín López—and three attacking options like Dani Olmo and Dru Fernández, with Bernal and Olmo's fitness to be carefully assessed; the coach will decide who takes the decisive role in midfield.
Mundo Deportivo adds that the best fit for the next Elche game could be a trio of De Jong, Casadó, and Fermín López, though the roles for Olmo and Bernal remain under discussion as injuries mount.
The article notes that De Jong appears capable of filling the defensive midfield role or acting as the playmaker behind the forward line, depending on whom else Flick selects, with Casadó and Bernal offering different profiles.
De Jong's production this season has been crucial: 11 appearances this term, eight in La Liga and three in the Champions League, totalling 643 minutes in La Liga and 211 in Europe, underscoring his value as a foundational piece for Flick.
In the end, Pedri's injury will put Flick to a new test to see how far Barcelona can adapt, with the Dutchman likely to roam across the pitch to anchor play and preserve the team's rhythm.
As for the dressing room, De Jong remains highly valued, even if media sometimes underrates him, having started in 11 matches across the two competitions so far.
The report concludes that Pedri's injury will challenge Flick's creativity and resilience, highlighting De Jong as a central figure to sustain balance and tempo in Barca's midfield in the weeks ahead.
Two punchlines: If Flick can juggle midfield like a magician, even a compass would be jealous—always pointing in the right direction. And if injuries were a league, Barça would be leading the table; sadly, it's a hamstring cup that nobody wants to win.
