Ten academy and reserve players Barcelona could turn to after Pedri, De Jong injuries – report

March 5, 2024Trending News

It has been a season filled with injury problems for Barcelona and things only got worse for them this past weekend as key midfielders Pedri and Frenkie de Jong were sidelined through fresh injuries.

Both the superstars are expected to be out of action for at least a month, and with Gavi out of action for the rest of the season, the Blaugrana are now staring at a depleted midfield unit.

Indeed, Xavi has just Fermin Lopez, Sergi Roberto, Ilkay Gundogan, and Oriol Romeu to work with. Among those, Roberto is just returning from an injury while Romeu has been dealing with some discomfort, restricting his minutes.

Given the situation, Xavi could be forced to turn to La Masia for solutions and Mundo Deportivo has listed ten talented youngsters who could get a look-in into the senior setup thanks to the injuries.

Unai Hernandez

A regular in Xavi’s training sessions with the first team, Unai Hernandez has got a look-in in friendlies, although he has yet to make his official senior debut. An attacking midfielder, he can also play as a winger and has an eye for a goal.

Marc Casado

Casado is a curious case because he has not made his debut in La Liga despite being called up by Xavi on more than 30 occasions, with all his senior appearances coming in the Champions League. A pivot midfielder, capable of playing as an interior or at right-back, he provides a lot of options.

Moha Moukhliss

A 24-year-old pure midfielder, Moukhliss on loan at Barça Atletic from Andorra and has become a regular for Rafa Marquez’s side. He has only been taken into account by Xavi for a couple of training sessions, but could be an option now with injuries to key players.

Marc Bernal

A talent from the academy on whom many hopes are pinned as a first-team pivot midfielder in the not-too-distant future. Bernal can also play as an interior, as he has done in the reserve team alongside Casadó. At the age of 16, he is already an important player in Barça Atletic.