Barcelona Provide Worrying Injury Update on Gavi After Setback

Barcelona have confirmed that Gavi will be forced to undergo minor surgery as part of an increasingly complicated return from a knee injury.

After featuring as a substitute in Barcelona’s opening two fixtures of the season, Gavi was forced to withdraw from training at the end of August with discomfort in his right knee. The 21-year-old is yet to return to action and initial treatment has not yielded the swift recovery everyone had been hoping for.

An official statement from Barcelona released on Monday morning laid out the concerning series of events which have transpired: “The first team player Pablo Martín Páez Gavira (Gavi) underwent intense sporting stress tests after finishing his conservation course of treatment for the radial injury to the internal meniscus in his right knee.

“The conclusion is that in order to guarantee the best possible recovery and return to competitive action, this Tuesday Gavi will undergo an arthroscopic examination by Dr. Joan Carles Monllau, under the supervision of the club’s medical staff. There will be another press release once the procedure has been carried out.”

An arthroscopic examination is a minor form of surgery which is not overly invasive, although it doesn’t bode well for a quick return. ESPN claim that Gavi could be sidelined until November. The club are naturally cautious of overworking their tenacious midfielder after an ACL tear in November 2023 kept him out of action for 11 months.

The update on Gavi came on the same day Barcelona confirmed that fellow midfielder Fermín López would be out for as many as three weeks with a muscular injury.

Hansi Flick is not blessed with a swollen squad given Barcelona’s strict financial limitations and fretted after this weekend’s victory over Getafe that “it’s important that everyone is well.”

Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Dani Olmo still represent a formidable midfield trio which was Flick’s first-choice option last term. Marc Casadó is also available alongside the returning academy starlet Marc Bernal. Every candidate will have to be considered over the coming weeks as Barcelona face a flurry of four fixtures in 10 days before next month’s international break.