Panic at Barcelona: Gavi leaves the Elche match after a knee injury

Pedri came on as a substitute

Barcelona were dealt a worrying blow during their clash with Elche, after midfielder Gavi was forced off before the end of the first half. He fell to the ground, immediately asked to be substituted, and the scene brought back memories of his previous serious injury.

The midfielder went off in the 44th minute. He sat on the ground, took off his shin guards, then put his hand on his right knee and signalled that he could not continue, prompting Hansi Flick to send on Pedri in his place a few minutes before the interval.

How he left the pitch heightened the concern at Barcelona. It emerged that the area he complained about was the same right knee in which he suffered his serious injury in November 2023, when he sustained a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament along with an injury to the lateral meniscus.

Nobody yet knows the nature of the new injury, which is why Barcelona are treating the situation with great caution. The player's medical history means they will not rush to judge how serious it is.

Gavi is set to undergo medical examinations to determine the nature of the injury and the extent of its impact. The club are waiting to find out whether it is merely a passing problem or a new blow that could keep him off the pitch for a period.