Concerns at FC Barcelona continue to remain when it comes to injuries and fatigue. The Catalan giants have already accumulated an extensive list of injuries even before the halfway point of the 2023/24 season. This problem continues to plague the Blaugrana squad, and some are even more vulnerable to it than others.
Injuries to Jules Kounde, Frenkie De Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, and Raphinha are still hurting the club. They continue their individual recoveries but remain unavailable for Xavi Hernandez as of right now.
However, One particular Barcelona youngster continues to perform for both club and country, but the frequency is beginning to become worrying.
Relentless Gavi
Gavi, still aged only 19, has been involved in 15 games for club and country this season, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo. When talking about the injuries within the team, Xavi Hernandez mentioned during his press conference ahead of the game against Bilbao:
“(The main causes are) the schedule and bad luck at some moments.”
In the case of Gavi, it seems that he may just be testing his luck at this point. Since the campaign kicked off in August, the youngster has accumulated 1124 minutes in total between club and country. From a total possible of 1350 minutes, he has competed in 83% of them.
Out of the total possible 720 minutes in La Liga, Gavi has competed in 673. Similarly, he has competed in 148 minutes out of a possible total of 180 in the Champions League. Lastly, he has accumulated 303 minutes with his National team out of a possible total of 360.
Upcoming challenges
Moving forward, Barcelona are expected to compete in 13 more matches up until December. Moreover, Spain will also have two of their own matches which will definitely involve Gavi. That makes it 15 matches between now and December. In totality, there are 30 games from August to the final month of the year.
Other returning stars
Moreover, being as key as he is to both sides, Gavi will likely participate in each game barring any unforeseen development. Similarly, the likes of Ter Stegen, Ilkay Gundogan, and Ronald Araujo have also just returned to Barça from exhausting trips of their own.
Their training with the group has been delayed slightly and certain returning International stars continue individual work in the gym for now.
The clash against Athletic Bilbao is the next test for Xavi’s Barcelona. Set to host their Basque opposition at the Montjuic stadium, Barcelona will want to put on a strong display for the home supporters. Moreover, the three points at stake here in this match could be crucial for La Blaugrana.
