Pedri’s latest injury setback at Barcelona may serve as a warning flag for Leeds United as they monitor Archie Gray’s development.
The Spanish wonder walked out of the 0-0 draw with Athletic Bilbao at the weekend after hearing a “crack” in his leg, according to The Athletic (4 March), in yet another injury to the same quadriceps muscle with which he has previously struggled.
It has raised long-term concerns about the midfielder, who is now 21, and refocused attention on his marathon 2020-21 season, during which he played 73 games for club and country and became a European sensation at 17 after transferring to the Camp Nou from Las Palmas.
The Whites’ own 17-year-old wonderkid broke into the senior squad this season and has not looked back, excelling in both central midfield and right-back, and has played 38 club games in all competitions, as well as four for England age-group teams.
He won’t make as many appearances as Pedri did three seasons ago, but it wouldn’t surprise if Daniel Farke played him in all of the remaining Championship games, perhaps leading to three more play-off games in the pursuit of Premier League promotion.
Archie Gray is an important man for Daniel Farke at Leeds United.
He has even been suggested as a “dark horse” for Gareth Southgate’s summer England squad for the Euros by Paul Robinson [BBC Radio 5 via Leeds Live, 15 October], which, while unlikely, would take him closer to 60 games this season.
Gray’s usage has received less attention since the beginning of the season, as he has proven himself more than capable of thriving in senior football over an excellent campaign, and he demonstrated why he is already a target for Premier League clubs with a strong performance against Chelsea’s mega-money pair Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo last week.
While he may be able to continue to improve during the season, Pedri’s nightmare since 2021 demonstrates that Gray cannot be assumed to be able to play indefinitely in the future.
In the three seasons since his mammoth 73-game streak, the Spanish great has only played 24 and 41 games for club and nation, respectively, plus 24 so far this season, according to The Athletic, and has had nine injuries and missing 71 matches in that time.
Notice may be taken at Elland Road following the latest injury news at Camp Nou.
Gray is physically more intimidating than the small Pedri, and there are examples of players, such as former Leeds United academy graduate James Milner, who broke into first-team football at a young age and have never had a big setback.
But the newest news from La Liga should serve as a reminder that things aren’t always so straightforward, and Gray has already played more this season than his body is accustomed to.
Farke has Connor Roberts available at right-back, and all three of his central midfield additions this season have been impressive, but after using the teenager extensively, it seemed doubtful that the German would put the brakes on at this critical juncture of the promotion campaign.
In the medium term, Gray’s workload may need to be more tightly monitored over the next two or three seasons to avoid falling into the same trap as the 2021 Golden Boy award winner.
