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• Deco: Pedri wants to make history at Barcelona and win titles

  Barcelona sporting director Deco is hopeful that Pedri will sign a new long-term contract with the club in the near future, with the midfielder's current deal expiring in 2026.

  The 21-year-old has been a mainstay of Barcelona's team this season, starting 11 of their 13 matches in LaLiga and all four Champions League games, after a difficult campaign last year.

  Pedri missed a total of 25 games for club and country with injury problems last term, including the semi-final and final of Euro 2024, having been forced off after eight minutes during Spain's quarter-final victory over hosts Germany.

  His fitness has been a big question for a number of years, having suffered from hamstring injuries since 2021, following the 2020-21 season in which he played 73 matches for club and country.

  But with injury problems having dissipated, Deco is excited at the prospect of having him in the team long-term.

  ”To go for a renewal the first thing you have to know is what the players are looking for, and I think they are looking to win titles, be in a competitive team and, of course, have good contracts," he told Mundo Deportivo.

  "I thought that way and I think we have players who also think that way. I think Pedri’s renewal will happen because I think Pedri wants to make history at the club."

  Pedri has been at Barcelona since joining from Las Palmas as a 17-year-old in 2020. Deco is confident that it feels like home for him now.

  "He feels comfortable here, he is happy, he wants to win titles, he is back at his best after working hard, understanding that there was work behind him that he had to do after so many years of suffering a lot with many games and injuries," he said.

  "He has understood it and has seen that he had to work in a different way, improve, and he was on time. We will do the renewal. He has this season and another one left.

  "We are focused on winning important things this season, but also on guaranteeing the future of important players and Pedri is one of them.”

• De Jong doubted ankle injury would heal ahead of Netherlands return

  Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong doubted whether his troublesome ankle injury would ever go away but is now looking forward to resuming his international career after a pause of more than a year.

  De Jong spent almost six months on the sidelines before returning for Hansi Flick's LaLiga leaders last month, but he has not represented the Netherlands since September 2023.

  A series of ankle issues prevented him from featuring in the majority of the Oranje's Euro 2024 qualifiers and caused him to miss the final tournament in Germany, where they went out in the semi-finals to England.  

  He will likely get playing time in the Nations League on Saturday when Ronald Koeman's team host Hungary in Amsterdam in their penultimate Group A3 match.

  "Did I wonder whether I would ever fully recover? That crossed my mind sometimes, but I always had the confidence that I would eventually be able to play football again," De Jong told reporters on Wednesday.

  "There was uncertainty about how long it would take and whether my ankle would be completely the same as it was before."

  The 27-year-old said the hardest part was missing this year's European Championships, as a late Ollie Watkins goal dashed the Netherlands' dreams of repeating their Euro 1988 triumph.

  "That was tough. I watched all the matches of the Dutch national team but not much of the rest. I did not want to be confronted with it every time," De Jong said.

  He was taken off on Sunday when Barcelona lost at Real Sociedad in LaLiga, but fears he would miss out for the Netherlands again were later abated.

  "I first got a blow on the muscle next to my shin and then another kick, but it was nothing to do with my knee or ankle," he said. 

  "I knew it was not a serious injury, but it did bother me a lot."

• Injured Barcelona star Yamal withdraws from Spain squad

  Spain will be without star winger Lamine Yamal for their upcoming Nations League games against Denmark and Switzerland.

  Yamal starred for La Roja at Euro 2024 and has been exceptional for Barcelona so far this season.

  The teenager has already provided a LaLiga-leading seven assists this term, while his 12 goal contributions rank joint-third in Spain's top tier, behind club-mates Robert Lewandowski (16) and Raphinha (13).

  Yamal has also attempted (84) and completed (34) more dribbles than any other player in LaLiga in 2024-25, while Barca's two league defeats have come in matches in which the attacker did not start; a 4-2 loss at Osasuna in September, and a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad on Sunday.

  Indeed, injured Yamal was left out of Hansi Flick's squad against La Real, and Spain have now called up Bryan Gil in his place, and Barcelona confirmed on Monday that the 17-year-old has suffered a grade one high ankle sprain, and will be out of action for up to three weeks.

  Luis de la Fuente's team are top of their Nations League group, with 10 points from their four matches.

  La Roja face Denmark on Friday before hosting Switzerland on November 18. 

  Should Spain collect one more win from their final two matches of 2024, then they will set a new national record for the number of victories in all competitions in a single calendar year. surpassing the 10 they managed in 2009.

  Barca also confirmed that Lewandowski will need 10 days out of action after suffering a back injury, meaning he will sit out Poland's matches against Portugal and Scotland.