There are four days left until Barcelona hosts Real Madrid on the Olympic mountain in the first classic of the season. Before, Xavi's Barça will enjoy a final rehearsal on the same stage against Shakhtar Donetsk with the Champions League anthem in the background. The Barça team must pass the European exam without the infirmary, with six injured, being emptied in the slightest. Pedri, who was out for two months yesterday, still hasn't stepped foot on the pitch. In the pre-match training session there was also no sign of Lewandowski or Raphinha, the two best placed to return. Behind them, and with very little chance of being available on Saturday, is Frenkie de Jong. “I'm still optimistic that someone could arrive for Saturday but it's the feelings that rule,” Xavi said. The technician's voice sounded less optimistic than usual.
Club sources rule out the presence of Koundé and Sergi Roberto for the classic. On the other hand, they could take a risk with Lewandowski and Raphinha, who are in the final phase of recovery from their injuries. Xavi is especially optimistic about the return of the Polish striker. “It may hurt, but he wants to play,” he predicted a few days ago. The case of Pedri is different. With the canary, caution has multiplied. The first forecast was that the midfielder could have minutes against Athletic Club last Sunday. The second placed him participating in the Champions League today. Today the verdict is not optimistic that Pedri can play the classic. Nobody wants to take risks with him. Not even Pedri himself. The feelings of the player, who injured the rectus femoris of his right thigh on August 24, will determine his return. Yes, he is expected to start training with the group this week. “But he needs to get into the necessary competition rhythm. And two days is not enough,” they point out from their surroundings.
Pedri knows the annoyance well. It is the same injury that kept him out of combat last year from February 19 to April 16. While recovering ahead of the March 17 classic, he suffered a relapse. “Relapse on a mental level is very difficult to manage,” said Xavi. “I help Pedri in everything I can. The priority is for him to return well,” concluded his great friend Ferran Torres.
With the Foios striker, who with four goals in the locker claimed to be “in the best moment” since he arrived at Barça in January 2021, and eleven more players from the first team available, Xavi had to pull eight players from the reserve team and the youth team to complete the list against Shakhtar. These are the goalkeeper Ander Astralaga and the footballers Lamine Yamal, Marc Casadó, Pau Cubarsí, Aleix Garrido and Fermín, who yesterday signed his renewal contract with the reserve team until 2028. The full-back Héctor Fort and Marc Guiu are also in the squad, the forward who debuted with a goal against Athletic.
The registrations of both players in the Champions League were officially closed yesterday morning. “In the best Barça in history there has always been a lot of presence of the youth team. For today's game there are 12. It is a pride," said Xavi, who ruled out experimenting in the eleven against Shakhtar: "We will be practical, there will be no strange things." The list is missing another essential youth player for Xavi. The sanctioned Gavi. “He will be missed. He is at a high level,” lamented the coach.
Gavi will be there to receive Real Madrid. Although the classic has slipped into the Champions League, Xavi has no doubts. “The competition itself makes no one lose focus. We must be in the round of 16,” he warned. “The best way to face the classic is to beat Shakhtar,” decided Ferran Torres.
