Gavi reacts to long-waited Barcelona return – “The most painful process”

Barcelona’s 5-2 stroll past Sevilla on Sunday evening will be remembered less for the scoreline and more for the sight of Pablo “Gavi” Martín Páez Gavira jogging onto the Spotify Camp Nou grass for the first time since September. The 21-year-old midfielder, cleared by club medics only 24 hours earlier, was introduced in the 80th minute with the hosts already 5-1 up and the stands roaring approval at a comeback they had waited more than half a year to witness.

Speaking to reporters after the final whistle (quotes via Marca), Gavi did not hide the scale of the ordeal he has endured. “It has been very hard, more so than the other time. It has been the most painful process and it has been more difficult for me on a day-to-day basis,” he said, referencing the anterior-cruciate and meniscal damage that cost him over a year in 2023. “The feeling at the Camp Nou, with my people, with the fans, is unique and I’m very happy.”

Coach Hansi Flick, who opted to ease the Spain international back into competitive action rather than start him, earned special praise. “Hansi Flick has always been with me, like a father. I am very grateful to him. He has always trusted me,” Gavi added.

The timing of the return could hardly be better for Barcelona. Frenkie de Jong remains sidelined, while Pedri and Marc Bernal have both shown signs of fatigue after a punishing sequence of fixtures. Although Gavi is unlikely to be risked in Wednesday’s trip to Newcastle United, he is expected to be in contention for next weekend’s home meeting with Rayo Vallecano, a match that could see him make only his fourth appearance of an injury-ravaged campaign.

For a squad stretched by knocks and congestion, the reappearance of one of its most energetic midfield engines offers both a psychological lift and a practical solution as the season enters its decisive weeks.