Despite crashing out of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League in the same season, Barcelona are in a great position to win the league and cup double this term.
The Catalan giants sit 12 points ahead at the top of the table following their 2-1 win over Real Madrid in La Liga over the weekend while Xavi's men lead Los Blancos 1-0 in their two-legged Copa del Rey semifinal affair.
However, the Primera Division leaders have a 2nd leg tie to play and the club will face their bitter rivals without two of their best players. They are none other than Pedri and Ousmane Dembele.
The pair were already injured heading into the international break, with the Spanish midfielder suffering a hamstring issue in the 1st leg of their Europa League encounter with Manchester United while the French winger hurt his thigh back in January against Girona.
The hope was that the pair would return after the international break and, more specifically, in time for the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal showdown with Ancelotti's side on April 5.
However, according to Relevo and AS, both are set to miss the return leg at Camp Nou after suffering setbacks. Pedri's issue stems from overconfidence in regard to his recovery time as the player tried to force an early return.
In fact, the Blaugrana midfielder wanted to be back in the lineup for the recent Clasico only to suffer a relapse a week ago. The maestro felt discomfort during last Friday's training session and was forced back to the treatment table.
Things have gotten worse and the hope of him returning for the 2nd leg of their Copa del Rey tie is all but gone now. Dembele, on the other hand, is reportedly recovering at a snail's pace. The medical team cannot confirm whether the attacker will return for the Real Madrid clash but that looks like an unlikely scenario.
Xavi's men boast a 1-0 lead after triumphing at the Bernabeu in the 1st leg. However, a lot can change in 90 minutes, and given the result of the recent El Clasico, Los Merengues will be out for revenge.
