Barcelona’s perfect start soured by Gavi injury concern

Barcelona opened their La Liga title defence with a dominant 5-0 victory over Elche, but the result was tempered by an injury to midfielder Gavi.

Gavi started the fixture at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero but pulled up late in the first half with what appeared to be a problem in his right knee. After receiving treatment from Barcelona’s medical staff, he limped off and was replaced by Pedri.

Head coach Hansi Flick confirmed after the match that the issue was knee-related, while offering a cautiously positive assessment of Gavi’s condition.

“Yes, it’s in the knee. We have to wait. It’s a little better than he expected when he got injured. After the game was much better. We will make an MRI and see,” Flick told reporters.

Barcelona will now wait for the scan before assessing how long Gavi could be unavailable. The midfielder has previously seen his career disrupted by knee injuries, making the upcoming medical examination particularly significant for the club and player.

Barcelona are scheduled to face Athletic Club at Camp Nou on Thursday, giving Flick little time to prepare for the next match while the club awaits clarity on Gavi’s status.