Luis de la Fuente commends Barcelona for managing €90m player’s recovery process | OneFootball

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has named his squad for the upcoming games against Denmark and Switzerland. As always, there is significant Barcelona representation in the squad, with the likes of Marc Casado, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Pedri getting call-ups.

One player who is a favorite in the Spain setup but has been absent since last November due to an injury is Gavi. However, the talented Barcelona midfield star is now fit and back on the pitch and there was some talk that De La Fuente could call him up to the squad.

However, sense has prevailed and Gavi has not been called up to the Spain squad. At a time when Barcelona are very consciously managing his minutes, the last thing they would want is for his recovery to be rushed.

Luis de la Fuente has spoken about Gavi’s recovery and commended Barcelona for the spectacular job they have done in taking care of him. As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, he said:

”Gavi is in the natural process. He was injured a year ago. His progress is exceptional. He is full of energy. The club is doing spectacularly well. We are looking forward to seeing him well and seeing him safe, even more so. For the national team it is very important. We are meeting deadlines.”

Against Red Star Belgrade, in Barcelona’s most recent game in the Champions League, Gavi played his most minutes of the campaign. Hansi Flick is slowly yet surely giving him a more prominent role and he should be in even better shape after the international break.

Should everything go as per plan, in all likelihood, Gavi should be ready to join the Spanish national team during their international break in March 2025. However, that is some time away and one should take it as it comes.

The day Hansi Flick determined Gavi is ready to start is when one can assume that he is fully recovered and ready to compete. If it was up to the €90m-rated star, he would choose to play in the line-up this weekend against Real Sociedad.

Let’s wait and see how the situation plays out for Gavi going forward. It is good that he can rest and recover during the international break and one will hope that he gets a more prominent role in the team going forward.