Concern over overworking Pedri: how Barcelona are managing his load

Flick concerned about Pedri's workload after Clásico loss; midfielder has played 77% of available minutes this season across Barcelona and Spain.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick highlighted a lack of freshness after the 1-2 Clásico defeat to Real Madrid, prompting analysis of player rotation and workload across the squad's first 13 games.

Pedri, Barcelona's creative hub, has borne the heaviest load. The Canary Islands midfielder has played 3,399 of 5,400 available minutes in 2026 (62%), including 906 of 1,170 this season (77.43%). He has started all 13 league games but been substituted early in 10 of them—more than any other player. Across Barcelona and Spain combined, Pedri has featured in 50 of 60 possible matches this year, missing seven through injury.

Flick's squad operates in three tiers: a core of near-permanent starters (Lamine Yamal at 94% of minutes, Joan García at 88.5%), a rotation group including Pedri, and a third tier with minimal involvement. The gap between regular players and fringe options is stark—111 minutes separate Eric García from João Cancelo. Players like Brian Fariñas remain unused, while Gabriel Jesus has managed only 233 minutes.