Embroiled in a transformative phase over the years, one of the shining lights for Barcelona has been Pedri Gonzalez. At the tender age of 20, he has carried himself as a veteran oozing maturity beyond his years.
However, injuries have often obstructed his talent from illuminating pitches on a regular basis. The backbreaking season he endured in the 2020-21 campaign has had far-reaching consequences on his physicality to this day, where in addition to playing 52 official matches with Barcelona, he participated in the Euros and in the Tokyo Olympics at just 18 years old.
With his previous season also concluding in a rehabilitation process, Diario AS has come out to report that the Canary Islander is back to full fitness and considered an indispensable asset for Barcelona and the Spanish National Team. The Blaugranes consider him one of the faces of the franchise and do not want to repeat the mistakes they made with him.
Emanating a positive vibe as he trained with his fellow teammates in the lead-up to the pre-season, his return undeniably spells triumph for both club and country.
Pedri’s season was put to an abrupt end when he faced a relapse after winning the league title against Espanyol at the Cornella. Owing to the league already being won, Xavi made the mature decision of not rushing him back. The Canary Islander thus spent the summer recovering and Barcelona’s insistence to the FEF that the player needed rest saw him miss out on the Nations League.
In just two seasons, Pedri has missed 48 games and been sidelined for 307 days due to muscle injuries in both of his legs, which is excessive for such a young player, despite the fact that he has repeatedly stated that these mishaps are unrelated to the burden of his first season in the top flight.
The 20-year-old midfield maestro holds innate significance in the squad and is seen as Xavi’s right-hand man, with an unmatched interpretation of the beautiful game. Following Sergio Busquets’ departure, the former Las Palmas man is expected to double his responsibilities.
In spite of the signing being made by Ramon Planes in the Bartomeu era, he is viewed as the project’s franchise player by President Laporta, and the Catalan giants are keen to pamper his physical development so that the injuries finally stop.
