Barcelona Stars Return from Injury Just in Time for Explosive Catalan Derby Showdown

Barcelona got encouraging updates during their initial training session after a 10-day hiatus, with Pedri, who was absent from Barcelona's final match of 2025 due to injury, making his comeback to the field prepared to participate in the club's 2026 opener.

The La Liga frontrunners Barcelona resumed practice on Tuesday to begin preparations for Saturday's Catalan clash against cross-town opponents Espanyol. Pedri managed to participate in the entire session without issues and shared an optimistic update afterward to confirm he's recovered from a minor hamstring problem.

"I feel great, prepared to compete," Pedri stated. "I was really excited to train, I experienced some [muscular] strain but thankfully I'm doing fine now, excited to keep supporting the team and having fun on the field."

Barcelona kicks off 2026 with an eight-match victory streak in La Liga. This impressive stretch that began with November's opening fixture has allowed the defending titleholders to establish a four-point advantage in the championship race ahead of Real Madrid.

"We approach [the game] with positive momentum I believe," Pedri commented. "It's accurate that Espanyol are experiencing a strong campaign and they won't make things simple for us at their venue, but we'll pursue victory, attempting to win as we always do."

During an open practice session before more than 5,000 supporters at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, Hansi Flick received a boost from his midfield orchestrator's return, who is prepared for the season's second phase. The encouraging developments continue, as another Barcelona midfielder also made his comeback from injury.

Dani Olmo Could Return From Injury in First Full Week of January

For the initial time since suffering a shoulder dislocation while netting the decisive goal against Atlético Madrid on Dec. 2, Dani Olmo returned to action and took part in segments of Barcelona's first practice session following the holiday break.

There were concerns that Olmo might need surgical intervention to address the problem, keeping him out for an extended duration. Thankfully those worries have lessened, and while he's not anticipated to play against Espanyol, expectations are that Olmo will be available when Barcelona heads to Saudi Arabia next week aiming to retain their Spanish Super Cup title.

Ronald Araújo also rejoined the squad after being absent from Barcelona's last seven matches of the year due to personal reasons. The Uruguayan will receive time to regain optimal mental and physical condition, but his return provides a welcome reinforcement to a suddenly depleted center-back rotation.

With these recent comebacks, Barcelona are at their healthiest point since the season's beginning, as Gavi also approaches the concluding stages of his rehabilitation from knee surgery. Flick's team are becoming healthier and starting to operate at full capacity, positioning them as serious challengers for every trophy available in the campaign's remaining five months.