'Not happy' - Hansi Flick speaks out after losing vital Barcelona star to injury for La Liga clash with Villarreal

Following their 2-1 defeat to rivals Real Madrid in the season's first El Clasico, Barcelona confirmed that Pedri has suffered a tear in the distal biceps femoris muscle in his left thigh, ruling him out for several weeks. The midfielder looked fatigued during the El Clasico loss.  

The club later released an official statement, which read: "The first team player Pedri has suffered a tear in the distal biceps femoris muscle in his left thigh. The player’s recovery will dictate his return to action."

Ahead of the Blaugrana's upcoming La Liga clash against Villarreal on Sunday, head coach Flick has now confirmed that Pedri will be unavailable for the clash due to a fresh hamstring problem. 

Speaking to reporters at his post-match press conference, Flick said: "Pedri? No he's not available. I am not happy about this, but it's part of football. He's injured, but I think for the next game (Espanyol) he's ready." 

The German coach added: "We have to take care of him and make sure he gets treatment. We can't take any risks. It's the best thing to do right now. We need him for the upcoming matches against Espanyol and the Super Cup. We have to adapt because we have a lot of quality in the team. I think he'll be ready for Espanyol. He has hamstring problems, but the risk is very high. He could play, but the risk is high."

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During the Catalan club's 2-0 win over Osasuna in La Liga last weekend, Pedri broke a long-standing Lionel Messi record as the 23-year-old became the youngest player ever to reach 150 La Liga appearances for the Catalan side. According to Opta, at just 23 years and 18 days old, the midfielder reached 150 La Liga appearances for Barcelona, becoming the youngest player ever to do so. In the process, he surpassed a record previously held by Messi, who achieved the feat aged 23 years and 121 days in October 2010 against Real Zaragoza.  

The reigning champions are on a six-game winning streak in La Liga and are four points clear above rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table. Despite missing a key player like Pedri, the Blaugrana would aim to collect all three points and increase their lead at the summit.   

The good news for the club is that the brief winter break in Spain kicks in after this weekend's matches, which means Pedri will have enough time to recover fully and return to action for Flick's side against Espanyol on January 3.