Flick one of the most affected by Barcelona rising star’s injury setback and long-term absence | OneFootball

Late on Tuesday night, FC Barcelona officially announced that star midfielder Gavi had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

The 21-year-old had been out of action since late August and finally opted for surgery after three weeks of conservative treatment did not yield the desired outcome.

While initially it was expected that the youngster would be out for only five weeks, Barça announced that Gavi is unlikely to return to action for 4-5 months, in what comes as a devastating blow.

Hansi Flick disheartened by the news

Now, according to AS, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was among those most affected when he learned of Gavi’s long-term absence.

As per the report, the outcome was an unpleasant surprise for everyone at the club, starting with the surgeon himself, who had also operated on Gavi’s cruciate ligament two years ago.

During the procedure, Dr Joan Carles Monllau found that the midfielder’s knee was in worse condition than expected, forcing him to carry out a much more invasive intervention.

Out for a long time. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

When doctors informed Gavi that the injury was far more serious than initially thought, the Barcelona gem was visibly shaken, knowing that he faced a lengthy recovery and that his chances of featuring at the World Cup this summer were in jeopardy.

At best, he will not be back before February, and that only if there are no setbacks during rehabilitation.

The news also came as a heavy blow for Flick, who will be without one of his most important players for the coming months.

Having returned from a long-term absence due to an ACL injury not long ago, Gavi now faces another extended spell on the sidelines. Hopefully, there are no setbacks in his recovery and he is able to return as soon as possible.