Club had hoped Pedri would return but medical staff are cautious of rushing him back
Barcelona will welcome back Marcus Rashford but will miss midfield maestro Pedri for the trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Tuesday.
Rashford returned to training on Sunday after missing three consecutive training sessions due to the flu. The forward sat out Saturday’s win over Athletic Club, but Barcelona staff say he responded well to fitness checks ahead of the Chelsea match.
However, Pedri will not be part of the travelling group. The midfielder has been out since suffering a left hamstring injury in the clásico in late October and did not take part in Sunday’s session.
Barcelona had hoped he might return for the Champions League meeting with Chelsea next week, but the medical staff have advised against rushing him back.
The club now expect the player back at some point over the next two league matches, either against Deportivo Alaves next weekend or Atletico Madrid in December.
Pedri’s midfield partner Frenkie de Jong is available after serving a suspension on Saturday. Left-back Alejandro Balde came off with discomfort in the win over Athletic Club, but he is expected to feature after tests showed no serious damage.
Barcelona’s first-team group held a light recovery session on Sunday for those involved heavily on Saturday, while the remaining players completed tactical work ahead of the trip. The squad will fly to London on Monday.
