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When Gavi arrived at the Hospital de Barcelona on Monday, he was expecting to have a procedure that would help finally clear up the discomfort in his right knee that had kept him out since August.
In the end, everyone — even the doctors — was surprised when it was discovered he actually had a much more serious injury than previously thought.
The initial plan was for Gavi to undergo an arthroscopy, a form of keyhole surgery involving a camera used to diagnose and treat joint problems. The Barcelona midfielder injured his knee in training on August 29; the same knee in which he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in November 2023.
That injury meant he missed 11 months of football, including Spain’s victorious run at the European Championship of 2024.
When he hurt his knee again last month, there was immediate concern that he had again damaged his ACL. But Barca doctors ruled that out and advised him to follow a conservative treatment plan after scans suggested he might have a bruised meniscus (a C-shaped piece of cartilage in the knee).
It was hoped that, with rest and recovery, the discomfort would go away. Knowing what had happened to him in 2023 and considering that, at the age of 21, he is a young player, Barca wanted to avoid any surgical procedures if possible. Gavi accepted this.
The conservative treatment lasted three weeks. But after this time had passed, Gavi, who had initially wanted surgery straight away, said he was still feeling pain.
By Monday, everyone could see that progress was too slow. Following advice from Barca’s doctors, as well as specialists external to the club, it was decided that Gavi would have an arthroscopy. It was thought better to go ahead with surgery and clear up any discomfort he might have. At that stage, there was an expectation that he might be out for four or five weeks as a result of the procedure.
But when surgery was carried out, doctors realised that he did not have a bruised meniscus. It was actually broken and needed to be repaired by being sewn back together. Gavi’s recovery time went from just over a month out to five times that.
Everyone at the club was shocked by the news. Sources within the dressing room — speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment — said it left the first-team group really upset. Long-term injuries are a nightmare for footballers and always bring reflection on how the same could happen to any one of them.
Further to that, Gavi is a much-loved member of the dressing room. Lamine Yamal, Ronald Araujo and Pedri went to see him at the hospital on Monday afternoon, with Gavi posting a picture of them together on Instagram. Hansi Flick has a particularly good relationship with him, too. The German coach went to visit him on Tuesday morning.
“I woke him up,” Flick said on Wednesday, speaking at a press conference previewing this evening’s match at Real Oviedo. “He was surprised, but there was training and I had to be there early.
“He has a huge heart, he’s very emotional. I wouldn’t say he would die for this club, but he lives for this club. We will help him, but he knows it will be tough. If anyone can manage this, it’s Gavi.”
In a much-celebrated action at Athletic Club in March 2023, Gavi threw himself down towards a loose ball on the turf, essentially trying to make a tackle with his head. He’d been around the first team for almost two years by that point and had already won the hearts of the fans.
But even though he is revered as a fighter on the pitch, he is predominantly a very technical player. He was at the peak of his career when he suffered his ACL injury in November 2023.
He returned in October 2024. Last season, while such a successful one for the team, was a transitional one for Gavi as an individual. Flick spoke to him and told him that, given the brilliant form shown by Pedri and Dani Olmo, he could not guarantee him minutes as a starter. Gavi accepted this with a positive attitude and let the manager know that he was there for whatever the team needed.
This new campaign was supposed to be different. He was Barca’s top scorer in their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea. It looked like a big chance to start over. That’s why there was such sadness within the Barca dressing room, too.
By the time Gavi recovers, Barca’s midfielders will probably be in full flight as the club pursues titles on three fronts. By then, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente’s squad makeup for the World Cup will most likely already be settled in his mind.
But there is hope from Gavi. He showed during his last long-term injury that, when it comes to his health, he can be patient. “Those who know me know that I will come back as many times as necessary to defend Barca and my team-mates until the end,” he posted in his Instagram message on Wednesday.
“A real champion isn’t made by their moments of triumph, but in the times they get up after a fall.”
