Barcelona 'suffer Ousmane Dembele, Pedri injury blow'

Dembele has been on the sidelines since the end of January, having picked up a hamstring injury during the La Liga contest with Girona.

The France international has been absent for the team's last eight La Liga matches, in addition to the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final with Real Madrid, and both legs of the Europa League knockout round playoff with Manchester United.

Initially, Dembele had been expected to return against Real Madrid in the league last weekend, but he was again out of the squad for the Catalan outfit's 2-1 win.

According to journalist Toni Juanmarti, the 25-year-old is still struggling to overcome his hamstring problem, which will lead to more times on the sidelines.

Dembele will allegedly miss the team's next league game against Elche on April 1, in addition to the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at home to Real Madrid on April 5.

The Frenchman's return could come against Girona on April 10, but Juanmarti has said that Pedri might be on the sidelines until the league game with Atletico Madrid on April 22.

Pedri trained in the build-up to Sunday's El Clasico, with the match expected to see him return.

However, the Spain international suffered a fresh setback during Friday's training session, which saw him left out of the squad for the league encounter with Carlo Ancelotti's side.

Pedri has been missing since with his own hamstring injury since the first leg of the Europa League contest with Man United at Camp Nou last month.

The 20-year-old has been an important player for Barcelona during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring seven goals in 30 appearances in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Dembele had been in strong form before his injury, contributing eight goals and seven assists in 28 appearances for Xavi's side this season.

Barcelona's 2-1 win over Real Madrid in La Liga on Sunday moved them 12 points clear of their rivals at the top of the table, while they have a 1-0 advantage ahead of the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.