Barcelona midfielder Pedri will not be fit in time to face Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinal after the international break, a source has told ESPN.
Pedri, 20, has not played since injuring his hamstring against Manchester United in the Europa League on Feb. 16 but there were hopes that he would feature against Madrid in LaLiga last weekend.
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He returned to group training on Thursday but did not feel right in Friday’s session and Barca decided not to force the issue.
There is no definitive timeline on how much longer he will be out, but with Barca 12 points clear at the top of LaLiga following Sunday’s 2-1 win over Madrid, there is no need to rush his return.
A source told ESPN that it could be “three to four weeks” before he returns, which rules him out of the Copa Clasico on April 5. Barca go into that fixture at Camp Nou with a 1-0 lead from the first leg.
Pedri’s aim is to be back before the end of the season and to be able celebrate a potential first LaLiga title for Barca since 2019 — and his first as a player — on the pitch alongside his teammates.
The Spain international also has an eye on the Copa del Rey final in May, if Barca can get past Madrid in the semifinal, and the UEFA Nations League Final Four in June, with Luis de la Fuente’s side facing Italy in the semifinal.
Barca also have fitness doubts over Ousmane Dembele, Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong ahead of April’s Clasico.
Dembele has not played since injuring his thigh at the end of January but is expected to return at some point early next month.
Araujo and De Jong both ended Sunday’s win over Madrid with minor issues which have forced them to drop out of upcoming matches with Uruguay and the Netherlands respectively.
However, both hope to be ready to face Elche on April 1 after the international break, with Madrid due at Camp Nou four days later for the third Clasico in a month.
Barca won the previous two and have now won three in a row in all competitions — including their Super Cup victory in Saudi Arabia in January — for the first time since 2011-12.
