Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has confirmed midfielder Pedri could make a shock return from injury on Wednesday against Sevilla in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
The 18-year-old was taken off in Saturday’s La Liga win over Sevilla due to injury, and the club later confirmed he was out with a muscle injury. Early reports suggested Pedri could miss two weeks, but the midfielder was spotted in training on Tuesday.
Koeman was asked about Pedri’s progress in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game and admitted the young star was in good shape and could well be in contention to start the game at the Camp Nou.
Well, there are some things you can’t explain because yesterday afternoon I was pretty surprised he was training by himself but he said he wasn’t feeling any pain. This morning he trained without any problems. We have to wait for tomorrow but we think that yes he could be on the list.
Pedri’s return will certainly be welcomed by the Catalan giants. The teenager has been a revelation since joining the club from Las Palmas in the summer and has featured in every La Liga game so far this season.
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Araujo to Miss Out?
Koeman also offered an update on center-back Ronald Araujo who also went off in the weekend win over Sevilla on his return from a sprained ankle. The Barca boss said, “he didn’t train with the group because he still has some nagging injuries. We’ll wait until tomorrow to decide if we can count on him or not.”
The Dutchman was also asked if he would play three center-backs again after switching formation on Saturday. The changes worked well as Barca ran out 2-0 winners, but Koeman was coy about his tactics for tomorrow.
I think the most important thing of any system is the mentality of the team and to try to press whenever possible and be together when you have to be. For me, that’s the most important thing. It doesn’t really matter if you have three, four or five center-backs in the team. What is important is to work hard, press our opponents. We know we can play well with the ball. We need to be confident in ourselves because in each match we’ve created chances.
Center-backs Gerard Pique, Oscar Mingueza, and Clement Lenglet all started last time out and could continue in the starting XI if Araujo is not fit. Samuel Umtiti is another option in central defense.
Can Barca Pull off Another Comeback?
Koeman’s team selection for the match will be crucial, particularly as Barcelona are 2-0 down in the tie after the first leg. Saturday’s win will have increased confidence, and the Barca coach feels his team can secure the comeback required to make the final.
After the last result our confidence has gone up. We need to play even better than we did on Saturday. So yes we can go through, nothing is impossible. It’s an important game. If we can make a comeback it would be a big injection of optimism for the future. There are things we have in mind we think we can accomplish but we have to prove it.
The winner of the tie will progress to the final next month against the winner of the other semi-final between Athletic and Levante. The two La Liga team are tied at 1-1 ahead of the return on Thursday at the Estadi Ciutat de València.
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