Barcelona’s decision to leave Pedri and Gavi out of the squad for the friendly against FC Basel has raised eyebrows, but there is no alarm inside the club.
In fact, according to SPORT, Barcelona are completely relaxed about the fitness of both midfielders.
Their absence from the trip is understood to be a precautionary decision by Hansi Flick, who is unwilling to take unnecessary risks during the opening phase of pre-season.
The two Spaniards were among the most notable absentees from the travelling squad, aside from players dealing with injuries or waiting for clarity over their futures.
However, their situations are not being treated as injury concerns.
Instead, Barcelona want to see two of their most important midfielders ready for the competitive campaign rather than pushing them through unnecessary minutes in pre-season friendlies.
Pedri following specific individual plan
Although neither player travelled to face Basel, the reasons behind their absences are slightly different.
Pedri has been working under an individual programme since returning for pre-season.
Barcelona themselves have explained that the midfielder is “following a specific preparation in his first days of pre-season.”
The club’s decision is believed to be linked to managing his workload rather than responding to any serious physical issue.
Pedri is being eased back into full intensity, with Flick and his staff taking a controlled approach during the early stages of preparation.
What about Gavi?
Gavi’s situation is somewhat different.
The Barcelona midfielder actually cut his holiday short by almost a week to return early and begin working under Flick.
He has trained with his teammates, but the coaching staff have chosen not to involve him in every pre-season fixture.
He was previously left out of the trip to Udine for the triangular tournament involving Nottingham Forest and Udinese, and he will now remain in Barcelona while the rest of the squad travels to Switzerland.
The decision, once again, is based on workload management, as Flick does not see any value in forcing either midfielder into friendly matches when the official season is still ahead.