Gavi, Barcelona's young midfielder, still has cold legs after a season in which he has accumulated just 191 minutes of play in 13 official matches. Despite having had a good half hour against PSG, the Andalusian player has not been called up for the Clásico and his participation has been limited in both the league and the Champions League.
Since the start of the campaign, the Los Palacios midfielder has started only in the first league match, on August 23 against Elche, when Barça suffered a 0-5 defeat. A severe bruise on his right knee kept him out of the games against Athletic and Rayo Vallecano. In September, his only appearance was seven minutes against Feyenoord on September 9 and 29 minutes against Racing on September 16, before being unsigned again. “I am for the team and for the club, which is what is important,” said the player after his brief participation.
After the three-week league break due to international commitments, HansiFlick started him against Getafe on October 10, but withdrew him after 61 minutes before being substituted for eight in the visit to Istanbul against Galatasaray. On the last day of the Champions League, the German coach gave him more quality time against PSG, where Gavi shared the double pivot with Rodrigo Hernández and had the freedom to advance towards the goal zone. Despite his contribution, Barça lost 4‑2 at the Parc de les Princes.
The coach has not exhausted the changes in recent games, and in the Clásico against Real Madrid, Gavi was not called up. Flick, who has expressed his preference for “war” in the Classics, did not use Gavi in the match, which caused the young player to remain on the bench. After the defeat, the player published on his social networks that “this is a long time” and that he will continue working with a collective spirit, although he recognizes that the competition is high at Barça.
Gavi, world champion, continues to be a key player for the club and the Spanish national team, although his availability may be affected by the presence of other players in the squad. Coach Luis Enrique has valued his contribution on and off the field, and the player's future will depend on the decisions of the technical management in the upcoming games and possible transfers in the January window.