Barcelona have confirmed that Gavi has suffered an ACL injury, with the teenage midfielder preparing to undergo surgery.
Barcelona have said in a statement on the club’s official website: “Tests carried out on Monday morning on the first team player Gavi have shown that he has a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus. The player will have surgery in the coming days after which a new medical update will be released. Gavi was injured on international duty for Spain in the final game of the team’s European Championship qualifying group against Georgia. The Barca midfielder was forced off after just 26 minutes of the encounter.”
The injury is a massive blow to both Gavi, Barcelona and Spain. The 19-year-old has become a key part of Xavi’s team and is immensely popular both among his team-mates and the club’s fans. It’s thought he will miss the next 7-9 months.
Xavi has regularly described Gavi as the team’s “heart and soul” due to his tenacity and desire for the game and will undoubtedly be really upset to see him ruled out with such a devastating injury.
Since making his first-team debut for Barcelona at the age of 17 in August 2021, Gavi has made 111 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing 12 assists. His contributions have been instrumental in Barcelona’s success, including winning the league title and the Spanish Super Cup in the 2022/23 season. Individually, Gavi’s talent was recognized when he won the prestigious Golden Boy award in 2022.
The injury and the subsequent surgery means that Gavi will miss the remainder of the season and won’t be a part of the Spain squad for the upcoming Euro 2024.