In the year 2023, on a cold November night in Valladolid, Spain, Barcelona’s starboy and the 2022 Golden Boy winner, Pablo Gavi suffered an ACL injury which has now kept him out for 10 long months. His club meanwhile, has suffered a lot without him in their squad. Pablo Gavi was the heartbeat of the team and in his absence, Barcelona couldn’t win a single trophy last season.
But now times have changed and so has Barcelona’s head coach. The German manager, Hansi Flick, has brought a positive change to Barcelona’s fortunes. In a matter of two months, he had turned around the situation in Catalonia and Barcelona is currently sitting comfortably at the top of the table with 12/12 points won from their first four games. Flick’s philosophy of playing hard-on aggressive football has been working wonders for the Blaugrana and it’s no secret that the best is yet to come.
Pablo Gavi, still only 20 years of age, was told by doctors that he would be out for at least a year. Even two months back, media reports were saying that Gavi would only be back on the field in January, and no earlier than that. But Gavi is no ordinary player, the tenacity and will he has within himself is second to none and so, the day wasn’t far when Gavi would be back at training. And guess what? He is back! If Hansi Flick is building an Army at Barcelona, Gavi is the Sleeping Giant who can’t wait to be a frontline soldier.
According to reports coming out of Catalonia, that time is now closer than ever. Gavi trained partially with the first team today in Barcelona and is expected to receive the medical green light in the next 15 days. That would mean that Pablo Gavi would make his much-expected return in Barcelona’s away fixture against Osasuna on the 29th of September.
Barcelona in the past few seasons has been struggling with Injuries massively. Gavi’s comeback in the Barcelona squad would surely feel like a brand-new signing. There is no doubt that his energy is contagious and will positively affect Barcelona’s game even more.
The Barcelona Six would seamlessly fit into Hansi Flick’s system and it won’t be a surprise if he adapts easily and becomes a better version of himself. That’s because, Hansi Flick’s system is based on the key principles of physical endurance, directness, tenacity, and grit, all qualities that can be associated with Gavi.
Moreover, with the ACL injury that Marc Bernal suffered, Barcelona are thin on centre mids and CDMs and Gavi slots right in. His versatility can come in handy for Flick’s Barcelona as the 20-year-old can play as a Left Winger, as well as in any position in Midfield. Once Again, La Masia will be there to save Barcelona and this time, Gavi will be the protagonist.
Can Gavi retain his footballing level after the ACL injury?
There surely are doubts on whether Gavi will be the same as he was before the ACL injury. But if there is one thing you need to know about Pablo Gavira, it is to never bet against him. Also, there are many examples of Player’s reaching their primes after suffering an ACL injury. A prominent example is that of Gavi’s former boss, Xavi Hernandez, regarded as arguably the greatest midfielder ever. A more recent example is that of Florian Wirtz, the Young German Maestro who recorded a world-class season with Bayer Leverkusen last season after suffering an ACL injury 2 seasons ago.
Do you think Pablo Gavi will be able to get the ground running in Barcelona after making a comeback? Or will the Spanish youngster fail to reach the levels he had before the injury? Let us know in the comments below.
