Barcelona’s explosive midfielder Gavi has entered the final stages of his recovery from an ACL injury, loading into first-team training on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old suffered a total tear in his knee while on international duty with Spain in November 2023. Just a day earlier, Spain Manager Luis de la Fuente had played down calls to leave the dynamic midfielder out of his squad for a tie against Georgia, arguing: “Good players never rest.”
Gavi has been chained to the sidelines for the ensuing 11 months, watching as his countrymen defeated England in the final of the European Championship last summer. The long hours in the gym have been working towards a return to first-team action, which could come later this month.
BarcelonaThe game’s number six was reminded of the intensity that top-flight football demands during a training match played by manager Hansi Flick during the international break in October. The 11-man youth game was played “at a good pace” according to Santi Ovalle a Cadena Ser’s What are you playing with? radio program
Lining up in defensive midfield alongside Frenkie de Jong, who just he recently returned of a dismissal that dates back to April, Gavi received about 40 minutes. The high-energy midfielder has been back on the pitch for a month and is looking forward to his first appearance in the top flight since November 2023. According to Ovalle, Barcelona’s medical staff “have to slow him down because he wants to come back now “.
Spanish publication The Sports World has affirmed that Gavi is “very close” to his return and highlighted Barcelona’s first game after this month’s international hiatus – the visit of 12th-placed Sevilla – as the midfielder’s comeback.
When Gavi injured his knee, Xavi Hernandez he was coach of Barcelona. The former club captain had experienced a similar problem during his own playing career and he explained at the time of Gavi’s injury how it could benefit his young compatriot in the long run. “It’s helped me take better care of myself and be more professional.”
Barcelona could not defend the league title in 2023/24, however Flick’s side have enjoyed a fast start in the new campaign thanks largely to Raphinha’s reinvention in a more central role, allowing him to produce the Spaniard’s skills.
