MADRID, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Barcelona midfielder Pedri has got a 10-day rest as he was sent off in the injury time of the Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday.
Pedri will miss his side's next La Liga match against Elche through suspension.
It's never good to be without a key player, especially one who has been the driving force in the team this season, but Pedri's suspension could actually be a blessing in disguise at the start of a packed fixture calendar.
The 2024-25 campaign finally saw Pedri put the long history of muscle problems that had haunted him in the wake of his marathon breakthrough season in 2020-21 behind him.
That year saw Pedri play over 70 competitive matches when he was just 17 and 18 years old and ended with him taking part in both the European Championships and the Olympic Games.
It was no surprise that muscle problems stopped him in his tracks the following year in which he only played 12 league matches, while the two years after saw him limited to 26 and 24 games in La Liga, with doubts over whether he would ever fully recover.
Those worries were put to bed last season with 59 games as Barca won the league and Copa del Rey and reached the semifinals of the Champions League.
The start of this season has been just as non-stop for Pedri, with 1,399 minutes in all competitions for Spain and FC Barcelona in 17 matches and without a rest.
Barcelona doesn't play in the Copa del Rey this week as it has qualified for the Spanish Supercup, so for once there is no midweek match.
Therefore, Pedri's suspension next weekend means his 18th appearance of the season will be against Club Brugge on November 5 in the Champions League, giving him a 10-day rest, which could be beneficial to his long-term fitness in the coming weeks. ■
