Gavi’s Season-Ending Injury: Unraveling the Toll of Game Time and Overwork

As Barcelona reels from the blow of Gavi’s season-ending injury, the question on many fans’ minds is whether playing an excessive number of games played a role. While the sentiment among supporters leans towards an affirmative answer, delving into the numbers provides a more comprehensive understanding.

When Gavi suffered the ACL rupture, he was 19 years, three months, and 14 days old, having already logged an impressive 9,410 minutes across 148 senior games for both club and country.

Breaking down his playing time by seasons, Gavi participated in 57 games during the 2021/22 season, followed by a staggering 76 games in 2022/23, and 15 games in the ongoing 2023/24 season.

Comparing Gavi’s games and minutes to some La Liga stars of the past at his age reveals a compelling narrative. The stark numbers serve as damning evidence of the toll modern-day football places on players, highlighting a concerning trend of overworking.

While it might be tempting for Barcelona fans to place blame on Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, the responsibility for managing player workload extends to both the club and the national team. The injury to Gavi serves as a poignant reminder of the need for a collaborative approach in preserving the health and longevity of young talents in the world of football.