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Barcelona provided an update on Gavi's condition on Monday after the midfielder was forced off at halftime during the 5–0 victory over Elche due to a "blow" to his right knee.
Gavi featured in just 13 matches last season following surgery on a meniscus in that same knee. He had also missed over 300 days after suffering an ACL tear in late 2023, also in the right knee. It came as little surprise, then, that concern arose when the 22-year-old was unable to continue in Sunday's La Liga season opener.
However, Barcelona's medical staff conducted assessments the following morning and confirmed the issue was minor. It is "only a contusion," meaning he faces only a "short time" away from training.
Whether that will be enough time for him to be fit for the match against Athletic Club this week remains to be seen—a fixture originally scheduled as the club's season opener that was pushed back from earlier this month to Thursday night. For that to happen, Gavi would need to return to training by Wednesday at the latest, and Hansi Flick and his coaching staff are unlikely to rush a player with a history of knee issues at such an early point in a lengthy season.
Barcelona's next fixture after that is not until Aug. 31 against Rayo Vallecano, which should provide more than sufficient time for Gavi to fully recover from the knock.
Barcelona Avoid Major Midfield Problem
Losing Gavi for a prolonged spell (once again) would have been far from ideal for Barcelona, given the limited experienced options in midfield—even with the addition of Rodri to the squad.
Club captain Frenkie de Jong is set to miss several months due to an MCL tear in his right knee, and Pedri was the only senior option available to step in for Gavi against Elche.
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Promising teenager Marc Bernal had started alongside Gavi, with Barcelona B's Brian Fariñas the sole other midfielder Flick had available on the bench. Rodri was absent against Elche but has recovered from post-World Cup back surgery and could make his debut against Athletic Club this week.
Andreas Christensen and Eric García have both previously been used to fill in at midfield when needed.
Xavi Espart had been expected to start in midfield against Elche, but the Masia product ended up being deployed at left back amid ongoing uncertainty over Alejandro Balde's future and João Cancelo only entering the game from the bench in the closing 10 minutes.