BARCELONA
Barcelona confirm length of Gavi absence after injury with Spain
With Euro 2024 and the Olympic Games ahead, as well as Barça’s LaLiga and Champions League campaigns, we all awaited news on the Spanish midfielder.
The worst forecasts have been confirmed. Through an official statement, Barcelona has confirmed in writing that Gavi “has a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee” and in the coming days, he will undergo surgery.
How long will Gavi be out?
The Spanish midfielder is expected to be out of action for more than eight months, bidding farewell to the season with the Blaugrana club. His participation in the upcoming Eurocopa and Olympic Games with the Spanish national team now seems almost impossible. Initial examinations, conducted on Sunday at the Valladolid hospital, already hinted at the severity, as reported by AS. After undergoing the relevant medical tests for an hour on Monday morning in Barcelona, the MRI has ultimately confirmed it. The player from Los Palacios will now be preparing himself for the procedure.
‘Test carried out on Monday morning on the first team player Gavi have shown that he has a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus,’ the club statement read. ‘The player will have surgery in the coming days after which a new medical update will be released.
‘Gavi was injured on international duty for Spain in the final game of the team’s European Championship qualifying group against Georgia. The Barça midfielder was forced off after just 26 minutes of the encounter.
‘This season Gavi has made 15 appearances for Barça, 13 in the starting XI. The midfielder has scored against Villarreal in the league and Royal Antwerp in the Champions League and he has also provided one assist.’
What next for Barcelona and Spain?
It’s a significant blow for both Barcelona and the national team, with the worst feared after seeing Gavi leaving the pitch with his hands on his face and evident signs of pain before the half-hour mark in the match against Georgia, marking his 27th appearance for Spain. Now, the Andalusian, known in his early professional years for sparing no effort and exhibiting physical conditions beyond his age, will have to confront the most substantial injury of his short sporting career. In the current season, only some back discomfort this summer prevented the 19-year-old from participating in Barcelona’s tour of the United States as a precaution.
A scenario of uncertainty now unfolds for Barcelona, which, with Gavi’s confirmed injury, has not concealed its displeasure with the national team coach, Luis de la Fuente, regarding the midfielder’s heavy workload during this international break. He, along with Robin le Normand, were the only two players who featured in both starting elevens. Consequently, Xavi Hernández loses one of the essential pillars of his squad, and the Blaugrana will have to navigate the remainder of the season without the Andalusian player. He had so far contributed with two goals and an assist during his 1,172 minutes on the pitch.
In the context of the national team, Gavi’s absence also highlights a significant loss for Luis de la Fuente’s squad, as the Barcelona player is a key figure in the coach’s tactical plans. Under De la Fuente’s leadership, the Andalusian midfielder had participated in every match, a total of ten games, with Gavi starting in nine of them. Despite his young age, Gavi had become a regular presence in the Spanish national team since making his debut in the semifinals of the Nations League in 2021. In total, he accumulated 27 international appearances, starting in 23 of them and coming off the bench in only four instances.
Now, with the ticket already secured for the Euro 2024 in Germany, ‘La Roja’ will return in March to face two final friendlies before heading into a continental event in which Gavi’s presence is in jeopardy, as well as the Paris Olympic Games, which he was initially set to participate in. This new injury adds to the multiple setbacks suffered during this recent international break and, in this case, represents a major setback for Barcelona. The club will have to navigate through the most crucial months of the season without one of its key components. Gavi bids farewell to the season.