Barcelona are handed a boost for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Atalanta BC, with Pedri back in the squad after recovering from illness.
Barcelona have been handed a boost for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Atalanta BC, with Pedri back in the squad after recovering from the illness that ruled him out of the weekend clash with Valencia.
Pedri was a late withdrawal from the squad against Los Che due to a stomach illness, and there had been huge doubt surrounding his availability for the team’s final match in the league phase of the Champions League.
The Spaniard has recovered to make the squad, but Dani Olmo and Inigo Martinez are not yet ready to feature, while Andreas Christensen has been ruled out of action for the next three weeks due to a calf issue.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are also long-term absentees, with the pair out for the remainder of the season.
Barcelona have already secured their spot in the last-16 stage of the Champions League, sitting second in the overall table, picking up 18 points from their seven matches, with only Liverpool performing better in the competition.
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Pedri returns to Barcelona squad against Atalanta
Atalanta, though, have plenty on the line, with the Italian side currently seventh in the table, just one point ahead of ninth-placed Aston Villa in the battle to secure an automatic qualification spot for the next round.
“It is always difficult to play against Italian teams because they defend very well. Atalanta is no exception. It is difficult to play against them because they put you under pressure,” Flick told reporters during his pre-match press conference.
“They have a lot of possession and the transitions are very quick. We have to be ready for the match. I hope we have made the right decisions when preparing for tomorrow’s game.
“It will be a fun game, I have the utmost respect for the Atalanta coach. It’s incredible all the ideas he brings to the team, his style is unique in Europe. They play very well and score a lot of goals, yes. We have to be careful with them in tomorrow’s game.
“The Champions League is the most difficult to win because there are many teams that are doing very well. Tomorrow we want to win because we want to finish in the best possible position in this first phase.”
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When will Barcelona’s injured players return?
Bernal and Ter Stegen are both out for the season, while Christensen, who has only just returned from a long-term Achilles issue, will not be available again until the end of February.
Martinez has been missing since earlier this month due to a hamstring problem, but the experienced defender could make his return against Valencia in the Copa del Rey on February 6.
Olmo is currently unavailable for selection due to a calf problem, but the Spain international is in the latter stages of his recovery and could be in the squad for the La Liga clash against Alaves this weekend.
Barcelona squad vs. Atalanta:
Pena, Szczesny, Kochen; Cubarsi, Balde, Araujo, Kounde, E Garcia, Fort, Martin; Gavi, Pedri, Torre, F Lopez, Casado, De Jong; F Torres, Lewandowski, Fati, Raphinha, Victor, Yamal
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