German coach HansiFlick has pointed out that Barcelona's performance has been affected by a lack of freshness, after the 1-2 defeat against Real Madrid in the first LaLiga Clásico. “It is not an excuse, but today we were not fresh and this is what we have to change,” said Flick after the match, which highlights the need to review the management of the squad's minutes.
Among the most critical players for Barça's scheme, Pedri occupies a central place. In the year 2026, the Canarian midfielder has participated in 50 of the 60 official matches played between the club and the Spanish team, accumulating 3,399 minutes, 62% of those available. Of the 10 games in which he did not appear, seven were due to injuries, two because he remained as a substitute without coming on and one because he was not called up. In the 2025-2026 season, Pedri played 1,635 minutes out of a possible 2,790, while in the 2026-2027 campaign he has already recorded 906 minutes out of a possible 1,170, which represents 77.4% of the available minutes.
Flick expresses his concern about the wear and tear of the player, considered the “alma mater” of the team. Pedri is the player with the greatest number of starts, but also the most substituted; He has left early in 9 of the 13 games played. The German coach has structured the squad into three blocks: the starting eleven, made up almost exclusively of internationals; a group of substitutes used in rotations; and a small block of players with less presence. In the 2026-2027 season, the players who have accumulated the most minutes are Lamine (1101min), JoanGarcia (1035min), Pedri (907min), Cubarsí (872min), GerardMartín (843min), Rodri (810min), Raphinha (791min), Fermín (776min), Gordon (757min), XaviEspart (724min) and EricGarcia (677min). The total percentage of minutes played by the starting eleven is 71.55%, with JoanGarcia and Lamine at 88.54% and 94.10% respectively, while Pedri reaches 77.52%.
Among the substitutes, the difference in minutes is notable: EricGarcia (677min) beats Cancelo (566min) by 111min, equivalent to more than a full match. Other players, like BrianFariñas, have not yet made their debut, and Balde and Hamza have recorded just 86min and 12min respectively. Gavi, DeJong and GabrielJesus have also had a limited presence, with 191min, 16min and 233min respectively, below expectations.
With this data, Flick intends to adjust the distribution of minutes to avoid Pedri's overexertion and maintain the team's freshness in the next matches, while preparing for the challenges of LaLiga and international competitions.