Pedri and Ousmane Dembele Targetting Return For Cup Semi-Final Second Leg Against Real Madrid

Barcelona were dealt with another injury setback on Friday as midfielder Pedri, who was on his way back from a spell on the sidelines, was ruled out of Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid.

The 20-year-old had been recovering from a thigh injury he sustained during the game against Manchester United and everything seemed to be on track for him to be back in the squad for tomorrow’s game against Los Blancos at Spotify Camp Nou.

However, Pedri felt some discomfort during the training sessions yesterday and the club have decided not to take any risk with the Spanish international ahead of a crucial stretch of the campaign.

Now, Gabriel Sans of Mundo Deportivo is reporting that the plan for Pedri and Ousmane Dembele is to recover in time for the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Real Madrid.

The Blaugrana face Carlo Ancelotti’s men again in over a couple of weeks at Camp Nou again, with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg of the semi-final. And they hope that both Pedri and Dembele will have sufficient time to recover in time for that match.

Like Pedri, Dembele is also sidelined with a thigh injury. The Frenchman has been out of action since late January when he sustained the injury against Girona.

The 25-year-old speedster’s recovery has gone more slowly than anticipated, which has led to his return date getting pushed forward.

With a return for the cup semi-final being targeted, it would mean that both Pedri and Dembele are all but ruled out of the La Liga clash against Elche after the international break.

Given that the Blaugrana have a significant advantage in the title race, it seems like the sensible approach to not rush either of them back into action and risk further injury problems.