July 06, (THEWILL) – Spain midfielder, Pedri, has been ruled out for the remainder of Euro 2024, after sustaining a ligament injury in his left knee during the quarter-final match against Germany. The 21-year-old Barcelona player was forced off the pitch in the opening minutes of Spain’s 2-1 victory over the tournament hosts on Friday.
On Saturday, the Spanish Football Association confirmed that Pedri had suffered a grade two sprain in the medial collateral ligament. Despite the setback, he will remain with the squad for the duration of their Euro 2024 campaign. The injury occurred following a challenge by German midfielder Toni Kroos, who later apologised to Pedri via social media, wishing him a speedy recovery.
Spain manager, Luis de la Fuente, faces selection challenges ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final against France in Munich. In addition to Pedri’s absence, the team will be without suspended players Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal. Le Normand received his second booking of the tournament, whilst Carvajal was sent off in the closing stages of the quarter-final.
The match against Germany was a heated affair, with referee Anthony Taylor issuing 16 bookings amidst 38 fouls. Spain ultimately prevailed thanks to a late header from Mikel Merino in extra time, setting up their semi-final clash with France.
Pedri’s injury is a significant blow to Spain’s Euro 2024 ambitions, as the young midfielder has been a key figure in their campaign. His absence will force de la Fuente to reconfigure his midfield strategy as the team aims to reach the final and potentially claim their fourth European Championship title.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
