Barcelona key midfielder not training with group ahead of Valencia clash

As Barcelona began their preparations for tomorrow’s Copa del Rey quarter-final encounter against Valencia, all eyes were on the training session to see whether a certain Gavi would participate or not.

After all, the 20-year-old had suffered a head injury during Sunday’s La Liga game against Deportivo Alaves.

Even though he was declared fine after medical tests and check-ups, the La Masia midfielder did not train with the group yesterday and only did some individual work inside the gym.

Training by himself

Now, according to Alex Pintanel, as today’s training session started, Gavi stepped out on the pitch but only to train by himself along the sidelines.

Indeed, the Spanish international worked by himself with the ball, away from the rest of the group, under the watchful eye of some of the coaching staff members.

This potentially confirms earlier reports that the fan-favourite midfielder, who recently signed a long-term contract until 2030, is a doubt for tomorrow’s match against Valencia.

More clarity on the situation should emerge when manager Hansi Flick addresses the media in his pre-match press conference later today.

But it will not come as a surprise to see Barcelona opt to take things slow with Gavi and not risk anything by rushing him back for tomorrow’s cup tie.

Since returning from his ACL injury, the Spanish midfielder has played 21 matches in all competitions, even chipping in with two goals and three assists.

In case he is unavailable, Flick has plenty of options to cover for his absence with Pablo Torre, Fermin Lopez, and Frenkie de Jong all available.

Furthermore, Dani Olmo has trained with the group again today and appears set to return to the squad list as well. So, Barcelona will be well-equipped to deal with Gavi’s potential absence from Thursday’s match.