FC Barcelona youngster, La Masia graduate and a Spanish national player already, 18-year-old Gavi has become a staple of quality across all levels. The number 30 for the Catalan giants remains the team’s most dependable player in terms of availability and resistance to being sidelined due to injury.
A player of great tenacity, one who does not ever seem to shy away from a dangerous tackle, is ironically also the one that arguably has been missed the least due to any injury or suspension this season. The young Spaniard has played and taken part in 41 of the total 44 matches that the Catalan club has competed in this season, an insanely dependable percentage of 93% in terms of games featured in.
Out of the mere 3 games that he managed to miss out on this season, the player was suspended for two of those. A La Liga Santander clash against Valencia and the second leg of the UEFA Europa League tie against Manchester United. The third game that the player ended up missing out on was the UEFA Champions League tie against Bayern Munich in their 5th match of the group stage, by which point qualification had become mathematically impossible for La Blaugrana, thus resulting in Gavi being given a much-needed rest.
Even beyond FC Barcelona, Gavi has remained persistent. The player has featured 8 times for the Spanish National Team this season, across competitions such as the UEFA Nations League, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and the most recent 2 games in the UEFA Euro Qualifiers under new manager Luis De La Fuente.
What remains arguably the most impressive feat of all is the fact that Gavi’s playstyle and role within the team requires him to constantly devote energy and physical exertion for the sake of his team. Yet despite that understandably demanding set of challenges, he remains the interior with the least number of matches missed when compared to the likes of Pedri, Sergi Roberto, Franck Kessie, etc.