Barcelona vs. Levante: Pedri, Gavi fitness updates issued ahead of must-win game for Hansi Flick’s team

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has revealed that Pedri is in line to “play a few minutes” in Sunday’s La Liga contest with Levante.

The Catalan giants will be aiming to bounce back from successive defeats when they continue their domestic campaign against struggling Levante at Camp Nou.

Pedri has been back in training ahead of the match, with the Spain international recovering from the hamstring injury which has sidelined him since January 21.

The midfielder will not be considered for a start against Levante, but in a major boost, the 23-year-old is in line to make his comeback off the bench.

Barcelona vs. Levante: Pedri in line to return but Gavi must wait

“Pedri can play a few minutes, but the positive thing is his return, considering his quality and importance to us on the field. He’s a different leader thanks to his quality, and I think he can be one of the team’s leaders in the future,” said Flick.

Barcelona received further positive news in the build-up to this match, with Gavi back in training after recovering from a long-term knee injury.

The midfielder has not featured since the end of August, though, and Flick has said that the 21-year-old will not be rushed back into action.

“We’ll take things step by step. He’s always present at concentration training, and he’s also making the right decisions in all training sessions,” Flick added.

Gavi has been out for Barcelona since August

“We can see that he’s a player who enjoys playing football, not just because of his mentality, but also because of his quality on the pitch.

“I hope he returns quickly, but as I said, we’ll take things step by step. We have the fitness coaches who are doing a great job with him, and they’ll help him get back to his level.”

Andreas Christensen remains a long-term absentee due to a serious knee injury, but Marcus Rashford is back in the fold for Barcelona after two games out with a knee issue.

Barcelona are currently second in the La Liga tabletwo points behind the leaders Real Madrid, who will be in action against Osasuna on Saturday evening.