Gavi: Barcelona midfield prodigy suffers painful knock in Spain’s 3-1 win against Georgia, leaves the pitch in tears

Defending La Liga champions FC Barcelona might have suffered one of the biggest injury blows as their midfield maestro, a La Masia prodigy, Gavi have received a serious knock in the knee while playing against Georgia in European qualifiers. Although Spain have won the game, it was a hard pill to swallow for Barca and Spain fans as Gavi left the pitch in tears.

Gavi- the midfield prodigy

FC Barcelona and La Masia have produced several gems in the last few decades. Starting from Lionel Messi to present Barca boss Xavi, La Masia has been a powerhouse of talents since years. These bright stars have been the face of Barcelona and it continues to pitch greater talents on the international stage. The current group of La Masia starlets include Gavi, Nico, 16-year old Lamine Yamal, who have wreaked havoc on the international stage, with already having two goals for his country in three caps. Gavi, who is often called the prodigal child for Barca and Spain, has been instrumental in the midfield for the defending champions, as his exuberance and never-say-never mentality on the field has been the talk of the town. He embodies the true spirit of a Catalan, putting his body on the line, with snaps of him putting his head in front of the ball having gone viral over last few years. His partnership with another midfield prodigy Pedri has been phenomenal, and this Pedri-Gavi duo has often been referred as the duo of Xavi-Iniesta in Barca’s yesteryears, when these midfielders used to swoon over their opponents.

A key player for Barca and Spain

Gavi has been a phenomenon for both club and country. He has managed 27 caps for the national team, while his club features exceed 100, winning several important tournaments in the form of La Liga, Spanish Super Cup. Last night, he did start alongside Manchester City star Rodri and PSG player Fabian Ruiz in the midfield, comprising an enterprising troika who was given the responsibility to assist their forwards.

La Roja, who had already qualified for next summer’s EURO, required a victory to ensure a top spot finish, ahead of Scotland. They did it handsomely, as Real Sociedad defender Le Normand put the hosts ahead on the fourth minute, before conceding a goal through Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to poise the game for a climactic finish at 1-1, in the half-time.

Speaking about Gavi’s injury, it was seen that the 19-year old prodigy was tackled from behind, which buckled the knee that was pressed under his weight, before limping off the pitch in tears. Spanish National Team has issued a statement in regard to his injury, as they said, “It’s a serious injury to his right knee, but we need to wait to see how bad it actually is.”

In the second half, Gavi’s FC Barcelona teammate Ferran Torres restored the lead from Gaya’s assist, and he went on to celebrate with Gavi’s shirt, showing support for his brother. Spain rounded off the game with a Lochoshvilli own goal, winning the game 3-1, as Barca fans earnestly wait for Gavi’s test reports to affirm the extent of his injury. With Gavi’s knock, Barca’s injury woes extend further as they have several stars on the sidelines, vouching for early comeback.