Pedri should be leading Barcelona into a new era - but injuries are threatening to ruin the career of Spain's greatest talent

Pedri is not a La Masia graduate - he arrived from Las Palmas in 2020 - but his style of play and ease at which he became a first-team star while just 18 means he has long been cited as being among the Blaugrana's latest wave of homegrown talent.

He arrived in Catalunya at a strange time. Barca were at the end of an era in September 2020, as Lionel Messi's best days appeared to be in the rearview mirror, while a series of big-money signings in attacking areas weren't panning out. The midfield, meanwhile, was a mess. Although Sergio Busquets was still considered one of the world's best, the duo alongside him could never quite get it right. Frenkie de Jong hadn't exactly enjoyed a glittering start to his Barca career, and manager Ronald Koeman didn't have a third central midfielder he could rely upon.

Enter Pedri. He was forced into the line-up more by necessity than quality, but steadily proved himself as one of the more promising midfielders in Europe. With Busquets' mobility decreasing, Pedri did all of the bits he between. He carried the ball forward and found the cute angles for Barca to exploit. He developed an excellent understanding with Messi, and paced Barca to a Copa del Rey win.

In a season marred by financial scandal, the threat of Messi leaving, and the inescapable reality that Barca's investments weren't panning out, Pedri was the shining light.

Once Pedri got into the Barca line-up, he was there to stay. By the end of his debut campaign, he had made 53 appearances for the Catalan giants, with his standout showings earning him a starting spot for Spain at the pandemic-delayed Euro 2020 as Luis Enrique made the teenager the fulcrum of his side. Thiago Alcantara, Rodri and Koke all had to watch while Spain's 'next Andres Iniesta' pulled the strings for a side that eventually lost in the semi-finals.

Rather inexplicably, the teenager was then named to Spain's Olympic squad, meaning he had just over a week off before boarding a flight to Tokyo to take part in his second summer tournament of the year. Unsurprisingly, he looked absolutely shattered once he got there.

Though he was granted a short break by Koeman early in the following campaign, Pedri still ended up playing 73 matches in all competitions in less than 12 months, logging over 4,000 minutes — twice the amount of what a teenager should be able to handle. Predicting what came next wasn't difficult...

The first injury of Pedri's senior career came in September 2021 as he suffered from a hamstring strain. He missed three matches, and just under two weeks of action. Most footballers pick up a similar injury in any given season. Nothing to see here.

The second, though, was more complex. It came just three days after Pedri returned to action — and was nearly identical to the first. This time, though, it ruled him out for three months, and he was forced to watch from the sidelines for 23 matches.

He lasted only three more months on the pitch before his hamstring gave in once again, leaving Xavi to try and rebuild during his first campaign in charge without his most influential midfielder. By the end of the season, Pedri had managed just 26 appearances for club and country, and played less than half the minutes that he managed in his first Barca campaign.

The 2022-23 season brought with it new hope, and Pedri was on the pitch for day one of the season. He stayed fit throughout the first half of the campaign, and though Barca struggled in the Champions League, he was the chief dictator from central midfield once again.

And it was his play, not just Robert Lewandowski's goals or their watertight defence, that saw Barca make a La Liga title push. Pedri was among the league leaders in chances created, shot-creating actions, progressive passes and progressive carries. A more balanced system — one in which revitalised Busquets and improved De Jong — gave Pedri the freedom to roam and create. As he entered his 20s, he looked every bit the superstar who had finally matured, ready to lead Barca for years to come.

But in the first half of Barca's Europa League clash with Manchester United in February, the midfielder went down, clutching the same hamstring that had bothered him for almost two years. His season was, effectively, over.

The Blaugrana, of course, won the league, a feat Pedri played no small part in. Still, his minutes were onc against slashed.

Things haven't changed much this term for Pedri. He only managed two games of La Liga play before he picked up another muscle injury in training in August, though he was surprisingly nonchalant about the knock in a fan forum interview shortly after, saying: Injuries are part of our job and we have to work hard to come back better."

But his encouraging words and positive attitude could do little to cover up the reality that Barcelona were languishing without him. Injuries had stacked up all over the pitch, and with Real Madrid surging and Girona earning Leicester City comparisons thanks to their miraculous start, the Blaugrana were nearly out of the title race by the time he returned.

Once again, though, Pedri found his way back onto the pitch. Only this time, things were different. He looked every bit a player rushed back into the fold, not quite ready to lift a struggling side back to the top of the table. Barca, once again, have been better with him, but are still seven points off the pace.

His most recent knock, suffered in late 2023, seems to have been less severe, but he will still be forced to work his way back to full fitness — and can't be trusted to ever really get there again.

Ahead of Thursday's clash with Osasuna, Pedri's numbers make for grim reading. Here is a midfielder with immense quality, but a glaring inability to stay on the pitch. His 4,000 minutes in 2020-21 have taken an immense toll, while his hamstrings are struggling to keep up.

Is Pedri exhausted or constantly injured? Perhaps it's a bit of both. Still, footballers need to be on the pitch in order to have an impact. And Pedri cannot be relied upon to be there.

This is hardly a new story in Spanish football — or for Barcelona. Ansu Fati and Gavi have both been subject to similar workloads, and both have picked up serious knee injuries — partially due to the unsustainable roles they have been asked to play. But Fati could be replaced by Lewandowski or Lamine Yamal. Gavi's role can be replicated by Ilkay Gundogan or even Frenkie de Jong.

Pedri, meanwhile, looks like a generational talent, and shown signs that he might just be able to meet the lofty expectations thrust upon him. The eye test, numbers, and his team's admittedly impressive record with him all point towards a player who can carry a team for years to come. But right now, he can't stay on the pitch.

That promise — those Iniesta comparisons — might remain a just dream. Once the next big thing, Pedri is turning into one of football's great 'what ifs'.