Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernández has this evening provided updates on the wellbeing of midfield pair Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
This comes after both were forced into alarming premature departures from Barca’s latest outing.
The Blaugrana marked their return to action a short time ago, making the trip to Athletic Club in the knowledge that a victory would have seen them leapfrog Girona into 2nd in the La Liga table.
When all was said and done, however, Xavi and co. were forced to make do with a share of the spoils, in a 0-0 stalemate.
The result, on the face of it, is not necessarily a poor one, with Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic of course a force to be reckoned with at San Mamés.
And yet, as alluded to above, Sunday’s outing proved an altogether damaging one from a Barcelona perspective.
This came with not one, but two headline members of the club’s midfield ranks having limped out of proceedings in the Basque Country.
After Frenkie de Jong first picked up what appeared to be an ankle problem, engine room partner Pedri soon followed suit.
Just over a week out from a crunch Champions League Last-16 2nd leg showdown with Italian champions Napoli, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of the wellbeing of the key pair was put to the aforementioned Xavi.
And Barca’s headmaster went on to confirm that, if early indications are anything to go by, it ‘seems serious’:
“Pedri and de Jong’s injuries do not look good, unfortunately. It seems serious. We are sad, as I think they will be out for some time”.
Conor Laird | GSFN
