Hansi Flick adopts a different strategy with Barcelona midfield maestro’s workload management

Hansi Flick adopts a different strategy with Barcelona midfield maestro’s workload management Pedri’s contributions were critical as Barcelona secured a narrow 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid to maintain their lead at the top of the table. While Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez stole the headlines with their performances and goals, Pedri was a crucial presence in the middle of the park , especially in the second half. It was yet another reminded that the Spanish international is integral to Barcelona’s setup, especially now that the club are missing new signing Rodri due to injury . Hansi Flick’s game-time strategy with Pedri According to SPORT , Hansi Flick is now going at great legnths to protect Pedri and avoid getting him injured or overburdened. Pedri has managed to avoid any injuries so far. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) The midfielder has featured in all 16 of Barcelona’s games this term, racking up 1,111 minutes, a tally bettered only by Yamal, Joan Garcia and Pau Cubarsi. But Flick has managed those minutes carefully. Pedri has completed just three full matches this season, a mere 18.75% ratio. He has often been withdrawn well before the 85th minute mark. This is a sharp shift away from Flick’s first two seasons, where Pedri was used throughout matches. The midfielder completed 38.9% of his apperances during the 2024/25 campaign, a figure that rose to 41.8% during the 2025/26 season. Important weeks for Barcelona ahead Flick has taken great care of Pedri’s fitness. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) These numbers goes to show that Flick has taken great care of Pedri, which is hardly surprising as the Spaniard’s presence will be key in helping Barcelona steer through the upcoming run of fixtures. Indeed, the Catalans face a punishing run of eight fixtures under a month to close out a year, including stern tests against Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Real Sociedad. Depending on Pedri’s workload during the international break, Flick will continue monitor and manage the Spaniard’s game-time carefully. Barcelona consider it pivotal that Pedri will be fit and available at the start of the year. Fortunately for Flick, the return of Frenkie de Jong from injury has served as a timely boost as it has become easier for him to now substitute Pedri.