Flick not giving into Barca star’s desperate efforts to return to starting XI

Last month, Barcelona were delighted to be about to call upon Gavi for the first time in almost a year. The 20-year-old midfielder suffered a serious ACL injury last November, and after a gruelling recovery period, he appeared against Sevilla – before making subsequent cameos in the victories against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Gavi’s appearances in those matches have been minor (seven, five and three minutes respectively). However, Sport say that he will be handed greater prominence in the coming weeks, starting with Sunday’s Barcelona derby against Espanyol at the Estadi Olimpic.

Given his nature, Gavi is desperate to return to Barcelona’s starting line-up for the first time in 12 months, although Hansi Flick will not give into this enthusiasm – he has a clear plan that he does not intend to deviate from.

It’s clear that no risks will be taken with Gavi, and it’s entirely understandable given that he was out of action for 11 months. Barcelona will surely benefit in the long run from him not being rushed back.