Gavi’s absence from the Barcelona starting eleven remains a mystery – Report | OneFootball

From start to finish, Hansi Flick has been adamant about meritocracy at Barcelona. The players that deserve to play will do so, and everyone does get a chance to prove themselves. Fortunately, that has worked out well at Barcelona so far this season.

Soaring through every competition that they have been a part of, the Catalan giants have managed to establish a strong position for themselves in La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and even the Copa del Rey. However, certain selection decisions do raise some eyebrows.

Gavi, for instance, is in a weird place right now when it comes to his importance to this Barcelona team. Previously out injured for almost an entire year with a serious ACL injury, it was already expected that his return would be a gradual one and that it would take time.

Flick initially managed his minutes quite carefully, but then began to give him more prominence in the team as well. As highlighted by MARCA, the young Spanish midfielder ended up starting in five consecutive games early on at the start of 2025, but saw his prominence fade away not long after.

With eight starts in ten games, it initially seemed as if the player had fully recovered and was back to his best again. However, that belief would soon be questioned as the player has now gone six straight games without starting and it has definitely raised questions about his situation.

When asked about it, Hansi Flick spoke well regarding Gavi and even claimed that it was just a part of the process as he expects the player to become one of the team’s superstars in the near future and continues to have faith in him:

“I speak with all my players. It’s Gavi—what do I even need to say? He’s coming back from a very serious injury, and that takes time. He’s one of the best players, and he’s doing very well. He’ll play for this incredible club for many years and will be a superstar. He can still improve a lot, and he will. Right now, he’s going through another difficult phase, but he’ll be ready for the 2026 World Cup. For now, this is just part of the process.”

Even the player himself seems to have no issues. For Gavi, there is no animosity in place and the player is more than willing to trust the coach and commit himself to Barcelona as well, especially with his contract renewal:

“Upset about not starting? Not at all. People love to make things up—talk about offers and all sorts of nonsense, but it’s all false. I’ve signed for five years with Barça, and I will stay because this is the club of my life. I’ll be here as long as I can. We rotate a lot, and I’m calm—the coach trusts me.”

Unfortunately, however, the player has definitely faced the consequences of this recent lack of minutes. He was not taken by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente for the recent international break, but it likely will not take long for the player to find a place for himself both at club level and with his National team as well.