FC Barcelona will kick off their defense of the Spanish Super Cup tonight with the game against Osasuna. The two teams will meet one another in the Al-Awwal Stadium, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While Barcelona are the favorites in this match, winning the game tonight will be anything but easy. Both the teams will be looking to get a victory, as winning the tournament will provide them with an important trophy and a good cash injection.
As already reported here, Xavi had called up 25 men to travel to Saudi Arabia for this tournament. Among these 25 players, there were three who had not received the green light to play a game at the time when the squad list was announced, including Joao Cancelo, Inigo Martinez, and Pedri.
Now, Barcelona can get some good news ahead of the match as journalist Alex Pintanel (h/t Barca Times) claims that Pedri is expected to get the nod from the medical team to appear in tonight’s match.
This will be a welcome boost for Xavi Hernandez, as Pedri is a key starter for the Barcelona head coach, and his presence in such an important match can prove to be decisive in the Catalan club’s favor.
However, Pedri will still not be 100% ready for this match, and Xavi is expected not to play him from the very start even if he gets the medical green light. Still, he can make an appearance as a substitute later in the match, depending on the circumstances of the game.
What is clear for now is that Xavi will not take any unnecessary risks with the former Golden Boy award winner. If Barcelona are comfortable without Pedri’s contributions, Xavi may decide to keep him fresh for the final, but if things are not going in Barcelona’s favor, Pedri may have to get on the pitch to make an impact.
