FC Barcelona midfielder Pedri Gonzalez has suffered a thigh injury, the club confirmed on Thursday.
The club did not mention for how long the Spaniard will be out but local reports say that he will miss four weeks of action.
“Pedri has sustained a right quadriceps injury. He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will determine his return," the club said in an official statement.
The Catalan club is having a hard time as they confirmed their defender Ronald Araujo is also out for one month with a leg injury.
With Pedri out, head coach Xavi Hernandez will now have four midfielders to rely upon as long as the 20-year-old is out.
Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi will compete for the starting spot but it seems that Xavi will pick the first three as they complement each other well.
It must be noted that Pedri is one of the most important players for Xavi. He was the key to Barca’s league-winning campaign in the last season as the midfielder scored winning goals on multiple occasions.
Even during Barca’s last league game against Cadiz on Sunday (August 20), it was Pedri who scored the first goal for his side in the 82nd minute to give them a lead.
On the other hand, Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo is just one step away from becoming a Barca player.
According to Sport, the Portuguese full-back will arrive in Barcelona on Thursday and may make his debut against Osasuna on Sunday (September 3).
Cancelo will become a Barca player but the negotiations between the two clubs have not concluded yet with some details still missing.
Barcelona's latest offer for the 29-year-old which includes a loan deal with a purchase option for €25 million is said to have satisfied the City's board.
However, a local journalist says that the purchase option would be conditioned on Barca reaching the UEFA Champions League's Round of 16.