After having gone through a very difficult start to this season with respect to injuries, Hansi Flick now has some of his key Barcelona players getting nearer to their returns.
Frenkie de Jong, who has not played for the last five months because of an ankle issue that he suffered last season in the match against Real Madrid is likely to return to the pitch tonight in the UEFA Champions League game between Barcelona and Young Boys. He has already been named in the squad list for this match.
Similarly, another player who is in the latter phases of his recovery is Gavi, as the midfielder has completed some training sessions with the rest of the group over the last few weeks. He suffered a torn ACL while on international duty with Spain back in November 2023, and had to undergo surgery to recover from this issue.
During the last few weeks when he has been training on the pitch, Gavi has been working with a lot of intensity, leaving even a coach as stern as Flick surprised with his recovery.
Still, SPORT reports that the player’s proactivity will not cause his return to be brought ahead of time, and his return will be determined by the already set deadlines.
Both the club and the player prioritize him returning to 100% before stepping on the pitch, so that there is a minimal risk of a relapse, and the club is particularly averse to taking any missteps with such an important midfielder.
For now, it is forecasted that he might return to play in October, but he will start playing only gradually as he has been out of action for too long a time to make an abrupt return to the field. Furthermore, the €90m-rated gem is not expected to return to 100% sharpness before Christmas.