Barcelona midfielder Pedri will get the chance to play for the first time since last month’s leg muscle tear when the champions host Alaves in La Liga on Saturday, but centre-back Ronald Araujo will miss the match due to a stomach virus, coach Hansi Flick said.
The coach said he was happy with the way his players responded in training after Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League, as Barcelona renews its efforts to overtake La Liga leaders Real Madrid, who are one point ahead.
«He (Pedri) will play a few minutes but will not be in the starting line-up. If it is possible, he will come on in the second half. We will see,» Flick told reporters about Pedri.
“(Araujo) has a stomach virus and he is out for today and also for tomorrow,” he added.
Flick was delighted by the return of winger Raphinha, who has made two second-half substitute appearances after missing almost two months with a hamstring injury, as Barcelona look to put behind an injury crisis that plagued the club until last month.
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«I missed him (Raphinha). I see him as one of the most important players in our team… he also has the hunger and the will to show how good he really is,» the German said.
«I really appreciate what I see in training. We are focused, we have a lot of quality. And of course the players are coming back now, Pedri is back… Raphinha, Marcus (Rashford) from the cold he had. We have almost everyone,» he added.
Flick, a former Bayern Munich midfielder, also brushed aside right winger Lamine Yamal’s on-field comments during the defeat to Chelsea after the 18-year-old appeared visibly frustrated following his substitution at Stamford Bridge.
«I was a player too and sometimes I didn’t show the right reaction. But in the end… it’s emotion,» Flick said.
«The next step for Lamine must be to show again that it is not about this match, forget it. Alaves is the most important now and he has to show his best level. We are all in a bad mood after the defeat against Chelsea. We were very disappointed about that… but it is done. Now we look ahead, we look positive for the next match until the end of this year,» he concluded.
Published on November 28, 2025
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