The options that Flick is considering to replace Pedri

A difficult absence to cover

The absence of Pedri, who had been the engine of the team and set the pace in midfield, leaves a complicated void to fill. Although the exact recovery time has not yet been confirmed, all indications suggest that the German coach will need to seek alternatives immediately for the upcoming commitments. During preseason, there was talk of a supposed "overbooking" in midfield, but injuries have significantly reduced the options. Of the seven midfielders in the first team, Gavi is still recovering from his serious injury, Marc Bernal is continuing to adapt to the competitive rhythm after his break, and Dani Olmo is in the final phase of his recovery.

The three that remain available

With Pedri out of action and Bernal still in recovery, only three first-team midfielders are fully available: Marc Casadó, Frenkie de Jong, and Fermín López. They are expected to be the backbone of Flick´s midfield in the upcoming matches. When Olmo returns, competition for the attacking midfielder position will increase, but all indications suggest that the starting midfielders will be Casadó and De Jong. This setup would imply a role change for the Dutchman, who would shift from acting as a ´6´ to doing so as an ´8´. In Flick´s system, the ´6´ is responsible for positional balance, while the ´8´ combines offensive functions and is more involved in play creation.

The profile of Dro, the "new Pedri" of the reserve team

Among the reserve players, Pedro Fernández ´Dro´ stands out as the one who most resembles Pedri. He has typically played as an attacking midfielder or false winger, but in the Juvenil B, he already played as a left interior, a position very similar to the one the Canary player occupies in the first team. Dro is a technical player, with great vision and the ability to associate, qualities that could make him a real option for Flick during this period without Pedri.

Other internal alternatives

Another young player who could have opportunities is Toni Fernández, who under Flick´s orders has played as a forward but could also adapt to a role as an attacking midfielder or offensive interior. Additionally, Eric García has already shown that he can perform well in the ´6´ position, which expands the coach´s options when restructuring the midfield. Until Bernal´s injury in Vallecas, Casadó was playing the role of interior while the more positional midfielder was Bernal himself. If the latter progresses favorably, he could play an important role in the blaugrana midfield in the coming weeks.