Hansi Flick could rest €100 million-rated Barcelona maestro against Osasuna | OneFootball

Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first-leg fixture of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday night.

It was a solid display from the Blaugrana who played with only ten men on the pitch for more than an hour after Pau Cubarsi’s first-half red card.

Raphinha scored the only goal of the game while Wojciech Szczesny stood like a wall in the goal, stopping everything that the Benfica players threw at him.

But it was Pedri who walked away with the Man of the Match award for Barcelona, as he controlled and dictated the play in the middle of the park in a masterful manner.

Pedri to be rested against Osasuna

Now, though Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona manager Hansi Flick could decide to rest Pedri later this weekend when they take on CA Osasuna in La Liga.

Rotations are to be expected in the lineup given the short duration between fixtures and Pedri could be one of the players that the manager holds back, especially with the second leg against Benfica coming up soon after.

Pedri was Barcelona’s best player vs Benfica. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The 22-year-old is understood to be ‘exhausted’ after the game at Estadio da Luz, where he covered the most distance of all players, clocking in 13.18 km.

Pedri has featured in 40 matches in all competitions for Barcelona this season, missing just one game through gastroenteritis. The midfield maestro has started 38 of those, contributing five goals and six assists.

The continuity in matches has been key for Pedri to maintain his rhythm and avoid any physical setbacks like in the past seasons, which is why Flick has been reluctant to rest him in games.

However, with the business end of the season on the horizon, managing his minutes will become crucial and as such, there is a possibility that the Spanish international gets a break on Saturday against Osasuna.

The likes of Gavi, Marc Casado, and Fermin Lopez are all waiting in the wings for their chance should Flick decide to go down that route.

*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.