Barcelona midfielder Gavi has returned to team training following a long period on the sidelines with an ACL injury.
The 20-year-old burst onto the scene in Catalonia during the 2021-22 campaign, making 47 appearances for the Spanish giants across all competitions.
Gavi cemented his place in the starting XI at Camp Nou, playing a further 49 times for Barca during the 2022-23 term, scoring three goals and providing six assists.
Following his meteoric rise in the senior game at club level, the midfielder was handed an opportunity to feature for Spain's first team in September 2021.
Since then, Gavi has earned 27 caps for La Roja, netting on five occasions, helping his nation to lift the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League last summer.
Gavi is "welcomed back" 😅 pic.twitter.com/ShI2x1hNWp
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 12, 2024
Barcelona welcome Gavi back to team training
After the first international break of the 2024-25 schedule, Barcelona have received a major fitness boost as they prepare to fight on multiple fronts this term.
Ahead of a trip to Champions League-bound Girona on Sunday afternoon, Gavi has returned to first-team training after almost a year out of competitive action.
The youngster was pictured alongside his teammates on Thursday, with Hansi Flick's troops preparing for the journey to Estadio Municipal de Montilivi this weekend.
Gavi last featured in a match for Spain during Euro 2024 qualification in November 2023, when the playmaker was forced off with an issue in the first half against Georgia.
It was later revealed that the 20-year-old had suffered a serious ACL injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign for both Barca and La Roja, who went on the lift Euro 2024 in Germany.
© Reuters
When will Gavi return to Barcelona action?
Having only returned to partial team training this week, there is little chance that Gavi will feature on Sunday as Barca visit Girona in La Liga.
It is likely that the youngster will require a few weeks on the grass with his teammates before he is ready to compete domestically and in the Champions League.
The Catalan club might be targeting a return for Gavi following the October international pause, when Flick's side host Sevilla in La Liga on October 20.
Barcelona are currently top of the pile after a quartet of top-tier fixtures, already four points ahead of title rivals Real Madrid in second.
Carter White
