These are decisive hours for the Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente as he finalizes the ideal starting eleven to take on England in the Euro 2024 final. While the team formation is still unconfirmed, the only certainty is that one of their young stars, Pedri, will not be able to play in the final match.
Just three minutes into the quarter-final match against Germany, midfielder Toni Kroos clashed heavily with the Barcelona midfielder, who immediately fell to the ground. Alarm bells rang when Pedri had to leave the field due to injury, and unfortunately, he was unable to continue not only this match but also missed the semifinal against France.
After the match, in which Spain ultimately managed to advance to the next stage, Pedri underwent clinical tests which confirmed a collateral ligament sprain in his left knee. This indicates that the FC Barcelona star will require at least a month of recovery.
“In the first few days, it’s always the worst. When you can barely walk and the pain is intense, you question many things, why it always happens to you. It was a blow, but you always try to find the positive side“, Pedri stated in an interview with the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
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Kroos-Pedri, apologies on social media
After Pedri’s injury was confirmed, the German midfielder apologized via his Instagram account: “Sorry and get well soon Pedri. It wasn’t my intention to hurt you!”. In response, the Spanish player replied, “Thank you Toni Kroos for your message. This is football and these things happen”.
Who could replace Pedri in Spanish national team?
While coach De La Fuente has not yet indicated how Spain will line up against England in the UEFA Euro 2024 final, signs point to Dani Olmo stepping in to replacing Pedri, just as he did against France in the semifinals. The Red Bull Leipzig player has become a key figure for La Roja, scoring crucial goals.