Gavi faces his new reality at Barcelona: “I’m much more patient now” | OneFootball

Gavi is going through a different start to the season than he probably expected. The Barcelona midfielder began the campaign as a starter, but a knock to the knee during the league opener against Elche set off alarm bells and ended up affecting his first few matches.

Although he did not suffer an injury, Hansi Flick decided to be cautious because of the player’s history of knee problems. Since then, the academy graduate has had limited involvement and was also not called up by Luis de la Fuente for this international break.

Gavi has had to learn to wait

The midfielder started in LaLiga’s opening match, but had to leave the pitch after taking a blow to the knee.

He then missed a couple of matches as a precaution and, since returning, has barely played any minutes: 11 against Feyenoord and 29 against Racing de Santander.

The situation is not easy for a player used to competing with enormous intensity, but Gavi admits that his experiences with injuries have changed the way he approaches his career.

“My knee always has to be strong, whether I play or not. I can’t let my guard down because at any moment things can go wrong,” he explained in an interview with Men’s Health.

“Injuries made me mature”

Gavi has suffered two major knee injuries during his career, so he now understands the importance of taking care of every detail in his recovery and preparation.

However, he insists that the fear of a new injury does not affect the way he plays.

“If you’re thinking about what might happen or might not happen while playing, then I don’t think you enjoy it much,” he said.

“You have to play without thinking about anything, compete as always, and whatever has to happen will happen, whether you think about it more or less,” he added.

The player also admitted that the recovery process helped him develop greater patience.

“Maybe before I wasn’t very patient, and now I am more so. When I was injured, I had to go through stages and set goals for myself,” he explained.

And he added: “Now, for example, I’d tell you that I take much better care of myself than when I made my debut.”

More pressure than when he was 17

Despite being only 22, Gavi has already spent more than five years since making his debut with Barcelona’s first team. His growth has also meant living with ever-increasing pressure.

“Now I feel much more pressure than when I was 17. Back then I wasn’t aware of where I was; the younger I was, the more I enjoyed football,” he admitted.

The midfielder knows that his current situation is different from his early years, but he continues working to regain a leading role.

Flick is also asking for patience

Hansi Flick is aware of how eager Gavi is to play regularly again. The coach even had a chat with him during training ahead of the match against Racing.

“Gavi has great ambition and always wants to play. But the team is functioning as it is and that has to be accepted. All the players are important to us and we need all of them,” Flick explained.

The coach’s message reflects the academy graduate’s current situation: there is no new injury keeping him out, but rather a sporting decision and a precautionary approach within a squad with a lot of competition.

Gavi, meanwhile, is approaching this stage with a different mindset. Injuries taught him to wait, take care of himself and complete each stage. Now he is looking to gradually regain the prominence that made him one of Barcelona’s great prospects.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.