Barcelona youngster taken off against Espanyol due to back discomfort

With Barcelona leading Espanyol in the Catalan derby at Spotify Camp Nou, manager Xavi Hernandez opted to make the first change of the contest just a little while after the half-time break when he replaced Gavi with Sergio Busquets.

And according to journalist Albert Roge, the young midfielder was taken off due to discomfort in his back.

The same has been reported by another journalist Marcelo Bechler, who is stating that the 18-year-old is suffering from a pain in the coccyx region and has been dealing with since before the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Gavi has become a key part of Xavi’s setup this season and has oftentimes been preferred over more experienced stars like Frenkie de Jong and Franck Kessie.

The teenage sensation, who won the Golden Ball and the Kopa Trophy this year, has featured in 20 matches across all competitions for Barcelona across all competitions, including the ongoing derby against Espanyol.

Gavi came close to scoring a goal in the first half very early in the game while he also created a chance for Raphinha on the day. However, he had received a yellow card around the 30th-minute mark.

The youngster made way for Busquets seven minutes into the second period and Xavi will be hoping that the midfielder is not sidelined for a long time, given that Barcelona have only recently recovered a fully-fit squad.