Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he was relieved that a number of injured players were fit again ahead of Tuesday’s crucial match against Atletico Madrid.
Barça moved to the top of La Liga with a 3-1 defeat to Alaves on Saturday, although Atletico is only three points behind fourth-placed Atletico.
Pedri made his return to the first team on Saturday as a second-half substitute, after more than a month away with a hamstring problem.
He is in line to start against Diego Simeone’s gritty team, as is midfield partner Frenkie de Jong, who missed the Alaves match for family reasons.
«I’m very happy. The players are coming back, maybe we can raise our level. This is the most important thing,» Flick said on Monday, although he confirmed Uruguayan centre-back Ronald Araujo is out.
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As a result, the German has come under fire for a series of dismal displays, not least in the Catalans’ highest profile matches: a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea and 2-1 defeats to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite being top of the table, Flick admitted Barca need to improve.
“I know we are not in top form like we were last season,” he said. «But we have potential. And we have to raise our level.»
Published on December 1, 2025
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