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The solutions Hansi Flick has for Barcelona’s midfield without Pedri
The injury suffered by Pedri during Barcelona’s 4–2 victory over Slavia Praha has not yet disturbed the team’s momentum, but its impact will soon be felt.
The midfielder is expected to miss around a month of action, forcing Hansi Flick to rethink how he replaces one of the most influential players in his starting XI.
Pedri’s absence creates a void that goes beyond numbers.
His control of tempo, intelligence between the lines and ability to link midfield with attack make him almost impossible to replace like-for-like.
However, Barcelona are not short of alternatives.
How can Flick replace Pedri?
In the current setup, Barcelona have two attacking midfielders, namely, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo.
However, there is also flexibility elsewhere, with players such as Raphinha and Lamine Yamal able to interpret the role in a more attacking way if needed.
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Dani Olmo can play in Pedri’s position. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
To compensate for Pedri’s absence, Olmo can drop deeper and help control the midfield.
This can be experimented with in the upcoming Champions League match against FC Copenhagen, especially with Frenkie de Jong also unavailable.
There are other options
Beyond Olmo stepping into the number eight role, Flick still has other cards to play.
If rotation becomes necessary, Frenkie has previously filled Pedri’s position this season, allowing Eric Garcia to return to midfield, where he has already shown reliability.
Furthermore, Pedri’s injury could also quietly change the outlook for younger players like Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal.
Both are expected to receive more minutes as rotation increases, and that added responsibility may have long-term consequences.
With their importance growing, any talk of January exits has effectively disappeared.
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