This has to be the worst international break ever for the two teams that comprise the El Clasico rivalry. FC Barcelona supporters are currently on edge, as they are grappling with the idea that Pablo Gavi, more commonly known as Gavi, could be done for the season.
Real Madrid fans are also cursing this international period, as both Vinicius Jr. and Eduardo Camavinga suffered serious injuries that will keep them out not just weeks, but months.
the fact that joselu hugged gavi when he get off the pitch? pic.twitter.com/xp6dh4KPtA
— ? (@favspedri) November 19, 2023
Gavi left Spain’s 3-1 Euro 2024 qualifier win over Georgia tonight in tears, having a suffered a “serious” and “major” knee injury. Tests and scans will be done, to determine the extent of the damage, but there is already plenty of speculation that the 19-year-old midfielder is done for the season.
ESPN is reporting that Gavi suffered an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
If that is the case, then it will multiple months until we see Gavi back in action. Ferran Torres, his teammate for both club and country, held up Gavi’s shirt as a goal scoring celebration.
It looks like it’s a serious injury,” Spain ,manager Luis De la Fuente told the media after the game.
“He is really worried. It’s the most bitter victory I’ve ever experienced in my life. We are waiting for the definitive tests. He will go to Barcelona now with [Spain sporting director] Albert Luque for further tests. We are destroyed. It’s as if we have lost the game.”
He added: “Gavi is broken, destroyed … he didn’t think these things could happen to him. When they have not happened to you before, you can think you’re not vulnerable, but we are very fragile. Of course he is sad, we are all broken. There is no explanation other than these things happen in life.
“Yes, the toughest day in this sport for me, the most bitter.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.