The midfield duo of Pedri and Gavi were left out of the Barcelona squad that routed FC Basel 5-2 earlier today, in the final preseason friendly ahead of the Joan Gamper Trophy curtain-raiser, and this development set off some alarm bells among supporters.
Inside the club itself however, there is little cause for concern, as Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was just taking precautionary measures.
Pedri works on a specific training program during his first days of pre-season 💪 pic.twitter.com/HzKic9HCh4
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 15, 2026
Joan Gamper Trophy Match FYIs
Preseason Friendly: FC Barcelona vs Al Ahly SC
Kickoff: Wednesday Aug. 19, 8pm CEST
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Predicted Starting XI
FC Barcelona Team News
Pedri is currently on his own special, individual training program, as he works towards building up a 90 minutes match fitness level. Gavi is also currently on his own program, and basically in a very similar situation. Both Gavi and Pedri are expected to miss out on the match Wednesay night. Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji are certain to miss out, as they’re dealing with longer-term injury issues.
That is pretty much it in terms of the injury/fitness situation.
The more exciting and interesting team news revolves around the summer transfer window. Both Rodri and João Cancelo are set to transfer in, and we’ll see if they can get their medicals completed and their paperwork signed in time for this match.
Even if they do, it doesn’t mean they will feature, but hey, you just never know.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.