Hansi Flick has moved to end the speculation over Gavi's future and his role in the Barcelona side. The German insisted he still trusts the Spain midfielder despite his reduced game time this season, and revealed he had sat down with Gavi personally to spell out his plans and where the player stands.
Flick spoke ahead of Barcelona's Champions League clash with Aston Villa in the fourth round of the league phase. Gavi remains very much in his thinking, he stressed, and a place on the bench is no sign that the coaching staff rate him any less.
"I have not thought of Gavi as a right-back," Flick said. "We all know his quality, and when we prepare for matches and look for options to make changes, Gavi is always one of the available options."
Match situations can scupper the best-laid plans, the Barcelona boss explained. That is exactly what happened in the recent 6-1 demolition of Alaves, when Gavi never got off the bench.
"When the match begins, sometimes you cannot carry out your plan as you want," he added. "I spoke with Gavi, because it is very important that he knows our plan and what we think about him. I want him to keep his self-confidence, and that is an important matter for me."
The numbers tell their own story. The Andalusian has managed just 191 minutes across seven official matches this season, starting only twice, and he was left out entirely for the recent Clasico against Real Madrid.
Fierce competition in the Barcelona midfield only makes his task harder. Pedri, Fermin Lopez and Frenkie de Jong are all ahead of him, with Rodri in the mix too.
Flick stopped short of promising Gavi any minutes against Aston Villa. Even so, he made a point of backing the midfielder publicly, insisting a few quiet weeks do not push him out of the picture. It was a message designed to keep his spirits up and his confidence high ahead of the European tie.