20-year-old Barcelona midfielder’s full return has improved the team – Report | OneFootball

It is a tall order for any returning player at Barcelona to retake their starting spot under any coach. Perhaps it is even more difficult to do so in a team that is already performing well in various competitions and does not need many changes. Still, a certain Barcelona midfielder has managed to do just that and even improve the team.

Under Hansi Flick’s orders, there have been moments in the season when the German coach did not have his entire squad at his disposal. Regardless of that clear disadvantage, however, Barcelona managed to pull through and do well especially in the UEFA Champions League.

For 20-year-old Gavi, however, this meant that his return to the team after almost a year of recovering from his ACL injury may not be as impactful as he may have thought it would. Still, he did what the coach asked and gradually began to reintegrate himself into the team with a few minutes in each game slowly after his return to fitness.

Now, however, his full resurgence has coincided with the team’s amazing start to the new year. As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, the Spaniard’s involvement has given life to Barcelona and they have been almost flawless in 2025 in the games that he has featured in.

Since the beginning of January, the Barcelona midfielder has been heavily involved as a regular starter in many of the games played by the team. Except for the Copa del Rey clash against UD Barbastro, Gavi has started in every single game and the team is yet to taste defeat in January.

In what could have been a disastrous month for the club, considering that they have played across four different competitions already in January, Barcelona have managed to prevail and stay alive in each of those competitions. Fortunately, Gavi’s full return has come at the right time and it has helped boost the team’s quality and morale.

Moreover, even on an individual level, his goals against Athletic Club and Real Betis highlight his own consistency and quality. For the first time since September 2023, the Barcelona Golden Boy has scored multiple times during the same month. Now, with games against Valencia and Atalanta coming up, he will be looking to help his team finish off a strong first month of the new year.