Flick's efforts to manage Pedri's workload

Flick cited lack of freshness after Barcelona's 1-2 Clásico loss to Real Madrid, with Pedri's heavy workload a key concern—the midfielder has played 77.4% of available minutes this season.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick blamed a lack of freshness for his side's 1-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the first La Liga Clásico of the season. "It's not an excuse, but today we weren't fresh and that's what we need to change," he said after the match.

Flick's concern centres on Pedri, Barcelona's creative engine, who has endured significant wear. The Canary Islands midfielder has played 3,399 of 5,400 available minutes across Barcelona and Spain in 2026—a 62% share. This season alone, he has featured in 77.4% of possible minutes (906 of 1,170). Notably, Pedri has been substituted in 9 of Barcelona's 13 league matches, the most of any player, despite also being the most-used starter.

Flick operates with three distinct squad tiers: a core of near-permanent starters (Joan Garcia at 88.5% of minutes, Lamine at 94.1%), a rotation group including Pedri, and a third tier with minimal involvement. The gap between regular rotation players and fringe members is stark—111 minutes separate Eric García from João Cancelo. Players like Brian Fariñas remain unused, while Gavi has managed only 191 minutes without injury.