Barcelona will face Real Madrid on Saturday, Oct. 28 in El Clásico, the biggest match in world football. These historic rivals have so many reasons to dislike each other, whether it be political or sporting. And with Madrid in first place one season after Barça embarrassed them in the La Liga table to return to the summit, there is plenty of excitement heading into the upcoming clash.
Injuries have already played a key role in both team's seasons. Real Madrid lost Thibaut Courtois and Éder Militão to season-ending injuries right at the beginning, with Vinícius Júnior also going down for a few weeks. Barcelona haven't suffered injuries as severe as the Courtois and Militão losses, but the sheer volume of injuries facing La Blaugrana have been even more staggering. Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Ronald Araújo, and still more have missed chunks of time already.
Can Barcelona still thrive without Pedri?
Pedri's absence always looms large, even above the rest. That's because Pedri is the most talented Spanish player and right there with Jude Bellingham, Vini Jr., Lewandowski, and Antoine Griezmann as one of the best overall in La Liga. He is Barça's most skilled footballer, leading attacks and creating chances from nothing as he weaves his way through the defense.
So far, Pedri has only been able to play two matches in 2023-24 as he continues to deal with nagging injury issues. He has not played since Aug. 20 when he scored a goal in a 2-0 win over Cádiz. His return is nearing, so Barcelona fans are naturally wondering if he will be able to play on Oct. 28 against Real Madrid.
Per Mundo Deportivo's Fernando Polo, Barcelona do not want to risk aggravating the hamstring injury (he's had a few over the past year), but they are hoping to allow Pedri to get minutes against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League and then Athletic Club in LaLiga before potentially starting against Real Madrid.
There is also the possibility that if things progress more slowly, Pedri may be available for the Madrid game off the bench, but that depends on how the situation proceeds over the next week, particularly his availability for these two matches.
Athletic Club and Shakhtar are also important opponents. Barcelona will not underestimate either. However, Real Madrid is the big target, given the rivalry and the fact that they are currently first in La Liga. For Barcelona, beating Madrid to win the league is vital, and Pedri could very well be the decisive factor in that.
As for the other key injuries, it seems as if de Jong will not be able to return in time for El Clásico, while there is optimism that Lewandowski can be back in the lineup for the all-important clash in Barcelona.
