Pedri to miss Barcelona clash vs Athletico
Barcelona have named Jordi Alba in their squad for Saturday’s clash with Atletico Madrid, with the Spain international recovering from a hamstring problem that he suffered against Bayern Munich last month.
Alba has returned to boost the Catalan outfit’s defence, but Pedri has been ruled out of the contest with Diego Simeone’s side due to a thigh issue.
Alejandro Balde has also missed out on a spot in the squad to an ongoing back problem, while Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Aguero and Martin Braithwaite remain unavailable for selection.
Despite the widespread speculation surrounding his future, Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is expected to remain in charge for Saturday’s clash at Wanda Metropolitano.
Various reports have suggested that the Dutchman could lose his job over the international break, although a victory over Atletico could allegedly change the club’s thinking.
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Successive Champions League losses to Bayern Munich and Benfica have increased the pressure on the manager, but Barcelona are unbeaten in the league this season, picking up 12 points from six games to sit sixth, just five points behind leaders Real Madrid with a game in hand.
