Barcelona €90m midfielder still two months away from resuming group training

A lot has transpired at Barcelona since they last trained at the Ciutat Esportiva complex under Xavi Hernandez ahead of the final league game of last season.

The managerial change saw the Spanish coach sacked and a new face replaced him on the sidelines – Hansi Flick. The German tactician’s arrival is expected to change a lot in terms of the team’s dynamics, and his chapter at the club is set to begin soon.

The team, barring those who are on international duty, will resume training following their medical checkups on July 10th.

Also missing from group training, however, will be the injured stars Gavi, Alejandro Balde and Frenkie de Jong.

Status update

As revealed in a recent update from Achraf Ben Ayad, Gavi still has about two months of his recovery remaining before he can start training with the group.

The youngster has been out of action since he suffered an ACL injury on international duty last year and even underwent surgery for the same.

As expected, the cruciate ligament rupture sidelined the player for close to a year.

Gavi ruptured his ACL in November last year. (Photo by CESAR MANSO/AFP via Getty Images)

The €90 million-rated La Masia prodigy has been working hard on his recovery and doing a lot of individual work to come back as soon as possible.

But despite the initial optimism that the midfielder could be available for the start of the new season, it is now clear that the player will not return before November.

Path to Full Fitness

An ACL injury takes a lot away from a football player, especially in terms of their endurance, agility and stamina on the field. Making a full recovery, thus, goes beyond a mere return to the field.

Even if Gavi returns to the field by November, he will be phased in slowly so as to build his confidence and restore him to 100% fitness.

According to reports, the player is only expected to return to his complete fitness in early 2025. While this is a significant setback for Hansi Flick’s side, the player’s long-term fitness remains the priority.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication