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FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27Getty Images Sport
Mohamed Mansi
Translated by

Flick's trust is not enough: Barcelona star's season turns into a nightmare

LaLiga
Barcelona
H. Flick
Gavi
Spain

Gavi pays the price for the abundance of stars at Barcelona

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Gavi is enduring one of the worst spells of his career, rivalled only by the 18 months he spent sidelined with a serious anterior cruciate ligament tear.

The Barcelona midfielder has started just two matches since the season began. Most of the time, he has watched from the bench.

Worse still, he failed to play a single minute in the last two games, against Real Madrid in the Clásico and against Deportivo Alavés.

According to the newspaper AS, Gavi's situation is deeply concerning, and it looks even more alarming when you review the players with the fewest minutes in the Catalan squad.

Next matches
BAR

BAR

Champions League

03 Nov 2026

AVL

AVL

Only four first-team players rank below him: Alejandro Baldé (116 minutes), Frenkie de Jong (98 minutes), Bryan Gil (90 minutes) and Roony Bardghji, who is yet to play a single minute.

That total of 191 minutes is nowhere near enough for a player of his ability and development.

Now 22, Gavi is living through a turbulent phase, and the pattern surfaced at the 2026 World Cup too. He started the opening match against Cape Verde, then vanished from the line-up entirely in the games that followed.

Barcelona have told the same story. He made his first official start against Elche on 23 August in a 5-0 win, pairing up in midfield with Marc Bernal.

Roughly two months passed before he returned to the starting XI, against Getafe in a 3-0 victory, this time alongside Rodri.

Part of the problem is that Gavi plays in an area where Hansi Flick is spoilt for choice. In the defensive holding role, there is Rodri and Bernal. Further forward, he is up against Fermín López, Pedri and Dani Olmo.

The German coach has never stopped showing his faith in him, and he rarely misses a chance to praise the youngster in press conferences.

The coming weeks will prove decisive. They will reveal Flick's plans and settle the role Gavi plays for the rest of the season.

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