Every body: Due to red card suspension, Pedri missed an official game for the first time since January 26, 2025

Daily Sports reported that after being sent off in the national derby with a red card, Pedri will miss this Sunday's game against Elche. This is the first time he has missed an official game since January 26, 2025.

At the Bernabeu, Pedri was sent off for two yellows and one red, allowing Pedri to finally have a rest. Since January 26 this year, he has played for 280 consecutive days, that is, 9 months and 6 days.

For Flick, the most reasonable alternative

Pedri is irreplaceable for both Flick and De La Fuente. Since missing last season's game against Valencia due to gastroenteritis, he has played 49 consecutive games for club and country.

In that game against Valencia, Flick chose to use Casado as the defensive midfielder, move De Jong forward, and let Fermin serve as the attacking midfielder. This may be the most reasonable arrangement against Elche on Sunday.

Although this break was forced, it was necessary for Pedri. Although Pedri has been in excellent form over the past two seasons, he also needs a "reset" to prevent any problems.

Although Pedri is an indispensable player, he also needs proper rest. About two weeks ago, in a press conference, Flick already hinted at someday needing to rotate the most-usage player, but that day has yet to come.

Against the newly promoted team, it might have been a good opportunity to let Pedri rest. However, considering that Elche is a dark horse in La Liga and only narrowly lost to the Spaniard in the last round, and Elche's tactical system requires the opponent to maintain a high level of performance, it is still unknown whether Flick will choose to let Pedri rest. Barcelona are five points behind Real Madrid after the defeat at the Bernabeu, making Flick even less likely to rest Pedri. But now, Pedri, who is suspended due to a red card, will definitely get a chance to rest.

The Spanish national team has also overused Pedri.

Flick has a variety of reliable alternatives to minimize the impact of Pedri's absence. Casado has started five times this season (13 appearances in total), but was substituted at half-time against Levante and Real Oviedo.

Flick prefers to place De Jong in the defensive midfield position, but the Dutchman can also play the role of playmaker. In the attacking midfielder position, Fermin once again proved his strength in the national derby.

Of the 49 consecutive games that Pedri played, 41 were for Barcelona and 8 were for the Spanish national team. In these 8 games, De La Fuente only allowed him to come on as a substitute in the UEFA Nations League match against the Netherlands. He replaced Olmo in the 84th minute, but due to overtime and penalty kicks, he ended up playing nearly 40 minutes. This kind of continuous high-intensity competition is a huge drain on him.