FC Barcelona confirmed a double injury setback to two of the first team’s biggest stars through a short official statement published via social media on Monday afternoon in Catalonia.
“Frenkie de Jong has a lateral ligament sprain in his right ankle. Pedri has a right quadriceps injury. Both players are out and their recovery will determine their availability,” the statement read.
Both players picked up their knocks in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Athletic Bilbao where Xavi was left to lament a golden opportunity wasted alongside two casualties that will effect planning for the business end of the season.
Valencia did Barca a favor by holding title race rivals Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw on Saturday. And while the Catalans started well in San Mames, where a win would have reduced Los Blancos’ lead to six points, Xavi believes that his players were disturbed by the loss of a pair of teammates in the first half and therefore couldn’t obtain a positive result.
As is common practice, the club hasn’t specified a timeframe for the players’ returns.
According to SPORT, though, De Jong will be out for four to five weeks and could target April 14’s away trip to Cadiz for his comeback or the Champions League quarterfinal first leg if Barca progresses.
Over at AS, their correspondent Javi Miguel, who is close to Xavi’s locker room, reported that the Dutchman will be missing for a month while Pedri might not be seen in action agains for five to six weeks.
With Gavi suffering a season-ending ACL rupture in November, these setbacks couldn’t have come at a worse time for the outgoing manager and his depleted squad.
Barca hosts Napoli in a decisive Champions League last 16 second leg clash on March 12 while a meeting with Atletico Madrid in La Liga is on the cards five days later.
De Jong could make it back for an April 21 installment of El Clasico against Madrid in the Bernabeu, but Pedri is less certain to feature as things stand and will need to recover well.
In De Jong and Pedri’s absences, Xavi will likely field a 4-3-3 with two pure wingers as Andreas Christensen operates at pivot behind Fermin Lopez and Ilkay Gundogan.
