Barcelona Golden Boy set to gain more prominence amid injury issues in midfield

At the start of the season, there were some concerns growing about the role of midfield prodigy Gavi at Barcelona.

After all, it appeared that the 19-year-old Golden Boy Award winner could find himself with a reduced role following the arrivals of Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu, and the form of Frenkie de Jong.

But, six matchweeks into the season, Gavi has already shown how critical he is to Xavi’s setup and could be set to become even more important in the coming games.

Gavi to gain prominence in Pedri, De Jong’s absence

Indeed, as per SPORT, Gavi will gain even more prominence within the Barcelona setup in the injury-enforced absence of key midfielders Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.

Pedri has been out of action since last month and it has seen Gavi become a regular in the lineup, even though it was as a pseudo left-winger.

Now with De Jong also out until early November, Gavi will most certainly be a permanent fixture in the centre of the park for the Blaugrana.

The 19-year-old already showcased his quality and ability to impact proceedings as he inspired the comeback win against Celta Vigo after coming on to replace the injured De Jong.

Despite there being some concerns early in the campaign, Gavi has dispelled all of them with important performances and will have a crucial role over the next couple of months, that too in his preferred position in midfield.

Xavi’s other options in midfield

With no Pedri and De Jong, Xavi will likely rely on Gavi, Ilkay Gundogan, and Oriol Romeu as his preferred midfield trifecta.

But the Barcelona manager could also turn to youngster Fermin Lopez as an option while first captain Sergi Roberto could also be an alternative in midfield.

There are young talents like Marc Casado, Aleix Garrido, and Unai Hernandez who all could be wildcards if Xavi sees fit.