Hansi Flick planning to increase 20-year-old Barcelona midfielder’s playing time in the upcoming matches | OneFootball

In addition to the impressive performances and abundance of goals that FC Barcelona fans have enjoyed this season, another memorable moment has been the long-awaited return of midfielder Gavi to the pitch.

After spending the last 11 months on the sidelines, the Spaniard returned to action in the game against Sevilla, which ended 5-1 in the Catalan side’s favor. Since then, he has also featured in the games against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Espanyol, Red Star Belgrade, and Real Sociedad.

However, Gavi’s game time has been limited, playing no more than 10 minutes in most of these fixtures, except for the Red Star Belgrade match, where he managed 22 minutes. In total, he has accumulated just 48 minutes since his return.

The player himself has taken this situation in stride, understanding the need for patience as he works toward regaining his top form.

Given Gavi’s intense, high-energy playing style, Hansi Flick has opted for a cautious approach to his reintegration, prioritizing the prevention of a potential setback.

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

However, Diario AS reports that Flick is planning to increase the midfielder’s load in the upcoming Barcelona games. In the next game against Celta Vigo at the Balaidos, the youngster can play up to 15 minutes, and Flick is expected to further increase his average time on the pitch to around 20-25 minutes.

If Gavi does not face any problems with this increasing workload, he can return to the starting lineup in the next 30 days. Thus, he can get his first start of this season in one of the games against Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund, Leganes, or Atletico Madrid.

From then on, the club is planning to have the midfielder fully fit in January, and Barcelona have set the Spanish Super Cup as the competition in which Gavi should be available with full sharpness.