After the first leg of the round of 16 against Benfica in the Champions League, FC Barcelona is already thinking about the LaLiga match that will take place this Saturday against Osasuna at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys at 21:00 CEST. A crucial match in the title race where the question for Hansi Flick is whether to start or rest Pedri González.
The 22-year-old player played the full 90 minutes against the Portuguese team at the Estádio Da Luz, where he gave a 'masterclass' in midfield, but the load of minutes puts his potential inclusion in the starting XI at risk as they continue to fight for the league title, since on Tuesday the 11th, the return match will be played at home for the Champions League.
The '8' of Barça had to multiply his efforts in the match for the highest European competition, when Pau Cubarsí was sent off in the 22nd minute, and Pedri doubled his efforts to give oxygen to the blaugrana team both in attack and defense, which earned him the MVP of the match.
Accumulation of Minutes: A Key Factor in Managing Pedri
The Tenerife native has played a total of 40 matches this season, becoming the third player of FC Barcelona with the most minutes on the field (3,112), only behind Raphinha (3,262) and Jules Koundé (3,365), but he is also the engine of the blaugrana midfield, in addition to having 5 goals and 6 assists, which is why Flick finds himself at a 'crossroads' when it comes to making the decision for the match against the Navarre team.
“He is very professional and his attitude is incredible. He is recovering well after the matches and is training well, at a high level. You can see it on the field. He plays like he trains. He gives us a lot of strength in that position, but we have to think about the future. Tomorrow we will decide,” commented the coach about the '8' in the press conference this Friday.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Flick is considering giving rest not only to Pedri, but also to other key players like Alejandro Balde, who trained with the group this Thursday after suffering an ankle injury in the Champions match.
Other Options to Replace Pedri
Fermín López and Gavi could also be in the XI so that Pedri can rest, and if all goes well for the Catalan team, avoid having the Canary player jump onto the field and thus arrive rested for the rematch against Benfica after a long load of minutes.