€90m Barcelona player hopes to ‘play the full game’ against Real Madrid despite recent return | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will be taking on their biggest challenge yet this season in less than 24 hours. Travelling away to the Santiago Bernabeu, they will be facing off against Real Madrid in La Liga. For Barcelona, a victory against Los Blancos would be crucial for reasons beyond just the three points at stake.

One thing that will be working in favor of the Catalan giants heading into this game will be their recovered players, however. The likes of Gavi, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez have proven to be extremely important players for Barcelona in the past and their availability is a big boost.

In the case of Gavi, there is a special hint of excitement and anticipation as well. After almost a year of recovery following his ACL injury from 2023, the €90 million-rated Barcelona Golden Boy has finally returned and is simply raring to go no matter what the challenge in front of him is.

As highlighted by SPORT, he is even mentally prepared to ‘play the full game’ against Real Madrid if Hansi Flick believes him to be ready enough, even though the player himself did state to Bein Sports that a degree of caution is something that is being followed:

“I hope to play the full game, but I’m working on easing back in and will be fully ready soon.”

He also shared his feelings about his return against Sevilla, the game that took place right before Barça’s recent victory over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League:

“Coming back against Sevilla was wonderful. I had been waiting for that day, and I’ll never forget it. It was a special day after so many months and will always be a beautiful memory for me.”

As for the Clasico itself, the Barcelona academy product knows how crucial it is for the team and believes that the team is ready to aim for a victory at the Bernabeu:

“It’s crucial. It’s a Clásico, and in a Clásico, you always have to win. The motivation is high for us and the fans. We have to win, and we’re ready.”

While it would be unlikely to see Gavi start against Real Madrid, crazier things have happened in the world of football. For now, the good news is that he continues to feel better after his long-term injury, and it is even better to know that the player is already mentally strong enough to overcome some hurdles after such injuries that many players are unable to do:

“On the pitch, I don’t think about it. The hardest part is getting back into the competitive rhythm after being out for so long. That’s the biggest challenge I’m working on now.”

Ultimately, the decision will now lie with Hansi Flick, who is being trusted enough to lead Barcelona as per his desire. He has been close to flawless so far, so his eventual decision will need to be backed against a side as troublesome as Real Madrid.