Barcelona to give Pedri 2-week break after marathon run

Updated Aug. 20, 2021 12:40 p.m. ET

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — After missing only one league game for Barcelona last season, before going on to play for Spain at the European Championship and the Tokyo Olympics, Pedri González will finally get some rest.

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said Friday that his prized midfielder will take a two-week break after Saturday’s match against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league.

“We have taken this decision because we don’t want him to have physical problems when we get into November and December,” Koeman said. “It is impossible to play as many games as he has this season, including two tournaments this summer.”

The 18-year-old Pedri has

And once back home, Pedri played in Barcelona's opening league game last weekend.

He will miss matches against Getafe and Sevilla in the league during his two-week absence.

Pedri’s

The only minute of Spain’s Euro 2020 campaign Pedri didn’t play was in the quarterfinals. He was named the best young player of the tournament.

With Lionel Messi gone from Camp Nou, the soft-spoken Pedri is now one of Barcelona's main hopes of building a winning team without its Argentine star.

But for now, he needs to put his feet up.

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