It’s been some time coming but FC Barcelona fans are getting closer to the date they will be able to see Golden Boy Pablo Gavi back in action. The player has been out since last November after suffering an ACL injury on international duty against Georgia.
What Gavi brings to the table is something that Barcelona missed sorely last season. His raw passion and unbridled energy is something Xavi would have loved to have. The former Barcelona boss also missed his best ball-winner in midfield in the 2nd half of the 2023-24 season.
Gavi has been working hard to return to action as soon as possible. As per Mundo Deportivo, the 20-year-old Spanish midfield star has two dates on which he could potentially return, and both are very close.
If everything goes well with the Spaniard’s recovery and he makes a swift return, Barcelona fans could see him in action against Sevilla on October 20, which is around a month from today. However, the club could choose to tread on the side of caution.
If Barcelona chooses to do that, Gavi could be expected to return to action on November 2 or 3 when the team takes on bitter rivals Espanyol in the Catalan derby. The date and time for the game has not been set.
In between these two games, Barcelona do face Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Real Madrid in La Liga but even if Gavi is fit, he is unlikely to be risked in such high-intensity games. Whereas, the games against Sevilla and Espnayol are ideal to ease the player back in, considering their nature.
Of course, Gavi is unlikely to get more than a few minutes on his return to first-team action. Hansi Flick will have a clear course of action to reintegrate him into the setup and be careful to not do anything that would cause a relapse.
Fans must keep their expectations with Gavi low as returning from such a serious injury is never a straightforward path. What the 20-year-old needs right now is constant support and the patience for him to recover his game.
It all comes down to how Gavi’s sensations are. Being the kind of player that he is, he will want to make the return as soon as possible but the club must not cut across any corners and make sure he is fully recovered. It remains to be seen how it goes.