Gavi’s rollercoaster return from star starter to benchwarmer at Barcelona

The Barcelona midfielder completely tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and damaged his lateral meniscus to boot.

The upshot? He spent nearly a year on the sidelines, watching from afar as his teammates battled it out on the pitch. It was clear from the off that this season would be a tough one for the young star, with a tricky recovery ahead and a gradual return to the fold being the only sensible approach.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick knew the score and took it slow with Gavi's comeback. The lad rejoined the squad on 20 October last year, named in the line-up for a clash against Sevilla. In those early games, Flick eased him in gently, handing him just the last five minutes or so before steadily upping his minutes in later matches.

Throughout 2024, the German gaffer played it cautious with Gavi's involvement.

But come the new year, things took a dramatic turn. After sitting out the opening match against Barbastro, Gavi roared back to his old self, starting five games on the bounce. In ten outings, he was in the starting XI eight times, a clear sign he'd shaken off the rust and was firing on all cylinders again.

Then, out of nowhere, the script flipped. Gavi vanished from Barcelona's starting line-ups, failing to feature from the off in six straight matches. True, he was laid low by fever for two of those, but even in the two games before and after, Flick left him on the bench. It was a proper head-scratcher for fans and pundits alike, especially after he'd been a nailed-on starter.

Naturally, the rumour mill went into overdrive, but all parties involved have rubbished any talk of a rift.

Flick addressed the chatter head-on: "I talk to all the players. It's Gavi, what's there to say? He's come back from a really serious injury and it's taken time. He's one of the best out there. He's doing brilliantly, and I reckon he'll play for this amazing club for years and become one of the superstars. He's got bags of room to improve, and he will. His attitude's top-notch, we all know that.

"Right now, he's in his second tough spell, but he'll be ready for the 2026 World Cup. For now, though, this is where we're at."

Gavi himself has poured cold water on the speculation. "Annoyed about not starting? Nah, people make up all sorts," he said. "They're on about offers here and there, but it's all nonsense. I've signed for five years with Barça, and I'm seeing it through, it's the club of my life, and I'll stay as long as I can. We rotate a lot, I'm calm, and the gaffer trusts me."

Adding insult to injury, Gavi's also missed out on Spain's latest squad under Luis de la Fuente. He won't be taking part in their Nations League clashes with the Netherlands, and his lack of game time at Barcelona might well be why the national team boss has given him the cold shoulder.

The big question now is whether Gavi can win back Flick's faith like he did at the start of 2025.