"As per the report, Barcelona midfield superstar Pedri will not be a part of the starting lineup to face Espanyol today. The 23-year-old midfielder had missed the Catalans' last game of 2025 against Villarreal due to mild discomfort. However, he has recovered completely from the issue and trained throughout the week and was named in the squad list, along with Dani Olmo."
"Given his readiness, it was widely expected that Pedri would walk right back into the starting lineup for the derby tonight. But, as per the update, that is not going to happen, with Pedri likely to be left out on the bench by Flick. The idea is for the midfielder to play only around 30-40 minutes in the second half as a substitute."
"Having Pedri feature from the get-go in the derby would have been a huge boost for Barcelona. But Flick seemingly does not wish to take any risks with his ace midfielder, even more so given that the Spanish Super Cup is just around the corner. It would then suggest that the manager is likely to go into the match with the starting midfield pair of Frenkie de Jong and Eric Garcia, who started in the Villarreal encounter."
Hansi Flick will announce the starting XI for the Catalan derby against RCD Espanyol. Pedri will not be in the starting lineup despite recovering from mild discomfort that kept him out of the Villarreal match. Pedri trained all week and was included in the squad with Dani Olmo but is expected to begin on the bench. The plan is for Pedri to play roughly 30–40 minutes as a second-half substitute. Flick prefers to avoid taking risks with Pedri ahead of the Spanish Super Cup. The likely starting midfield pair is Frenkie de Jong and Eric García.
Read at Barca Universal
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