Hansi Flick revealed that Gavi could make his return from injury in Barcelona's LaLiga clash against Sevilla on Sunday, but said the midfielder's minutes will be managed.
Gavi played just two matches for Barca at the start of the season before suffering a knee injury, which required surgery back in September.
The 21-year-old's return comes as a crucial time for Barca, who saw Frenkie de Jong recently sustain a hamstring injury as the Blaugrana battle for the league and Champions League titles.
Flick is delighted to welcome Gavi back into the team, but insisted the youngster will be on a minute restriction to preserve his fitness.
"I'm very happy for Gavi," said the Barcelona head coach.
"I hope he can play a few minutes tomorrow, but we have to take it step by step.
"He has a long career ahead of him and we need to manage him properly."
Barca, who are four points clear of Real Madrid at LaLiga summit, also host Newcastle United in the Champions League and Rayo Vallecano in the league after facing Sevilla at Camp Nou this weekend.
Flick has urged his side to make the most of their homestand during a busy period in their fixture schedule.
"This week we have three matches and it's a very important one," added Flick.
"We're playing at home and we want to win all three. It won't be easy, but we have to play with confidence and conviction.
"We've played four matches in eleven days and our options for making changes were limited. On top of that, some players are coming back from injury.
"The team's attitude has been very good despite having had very intense matches lately."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Barcelona – Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski has scored four goals in his last four meetings against Sevilla in LaLiga, including a brace at the Olimpic Lluis Companys in October 2024.
Sevilla – Akor Adams
Adams has scored seven goals in 22 appearances in LaLiga 2025-26 and is one away from equalling his best goalscoring tally in a single campaign in Europe's top five leagues, achieved with Montpellier in Ligue 1 2023-24 (eight goals in 32 appearances).