The Gavi labyrinth: a new threat to the operating room due to discomfort in the operated knee.

Just as the long recovery tunnel following the serious injury he suffered to his right knee in November 2023 and the gradual return to form with Barça that he experienced last season under Hansi Flick seemed to be finally behind him, Gavi has found himself in the maze again. Against Rayo Vallecano, he was ruled out due to meniscus discomfort in the same joint that kept him out of action for over a year. And, despite both the player himself and the Blaugrana club appearing to favor a conservative solution, the shadow of surgery once again looms over him. This was revealed by Luis de la Fuente , the Spanish national team coach.

"These are things that happen in life and in football. I spoke to him, he's sad, worried, waiting to see whether or not he'll have meniscus surgery. But he's a very strong player with a lot of character," he stated, speaking to Cadena Ser. Gavi 's strong character was certainly proven when he spoke out before the Champions League match against Dortmund, when asked about his sometimes excessive intensity. "A lot of people think I don't know how to play football, and they don't have a fucking clue. It's understandable; everyone thinks what they want, and that's fine," he added.

Also, after a head-to-head clash with Tomás Conechny in the Barça-Alavés match on February 2, he tried to convince everyone to let him continue playing. The intervention of the late doctor Carles Miñarro was decisive in Flick opting to replace him, but not before offering him an almost fatherly gesture.

The Flick Deal

The German, in fact, has had a very close relationship with the young player since his arrival at the club. Initially, he tried to be cautious before giving him playing time, aware of the long period of inactivity he was coming off and despite the tireless drive he displayed in training. Later, he occasionally calmed his fire, either during matches or by explaining why he ultimately preferred to leave him on the bench.

And Gavi's response to this attitude couldn't have been more positive. First, with a string of heartfelt hugs with the coach. Then, with a gesture that moved the coach: against Valencia on January 27, he chose to give up his place to Ansu Fati when Flick was about to bring him onto the pitch, so that his teammate could get some playing time.

Other options

At the start of the season, following an Asian tour in which he scored three goals, the coach decided to bring him on, albeit always from the bench. Against Mallorca at Son Moix, in the La Liga opener, he came on in the 69th minute, but still had time to set up Lamine Yamal for the young star to seal the 3-0 lead. Against Levante at the Ciutat de Valencia, meanwhile, he came on after the break to replace Marc Casadó and helped breathe new life into a team that was 2-0 down and came back to make it 3-2.

His absence, coupled with that of Frenkie de Jong with muscle problems, now complicates life a little for Flick, who has plenty of players in midfield at the start of the season. Just a little. In addition to the options of Pedri , Fermín , Casadó, and the versatile Dani Olmo , he also has the option of Marc Bernal , who shone in his Primera Division debut against Valencia last year. Although, as in the case of Gavi, the German also seems to prefer to take his return very slowly.