Heavy blow for Spain: Young star Gavi out for a long time
After suffering a serious knee injury in the qualifying match against Georgia (3:1), the young Spanish star Gavi will probably be out for the rest of the season and therefore also for the European Championship in Germany.
The 19-year-old FC Barcelona player suffered a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an injury to his lateral meniscus. This was announced by the Catalan club following an examination. Gavi is due to undergo surgery in the coming days and is expected to be out of action for six to eight months.
The midfielder suffered the injury early on in the game in Valladolid after a tackle with Georgia's Luka Lochoshvili. After the game, national coach Luis de la Fuente spoke of a "serious injury" and the "bitterest victory of his life".
Shocked teammates
Gavi's teammates were also shocked by the injury. Ferran Torres held up his teammate's shirt after scoring the 2:1.
The long absence is a huge blow for the European Championship title contender. The 2022 best young star is one of the key players in the Spanish team that secured group victory ahead of Scotland. Despite his young age, the match against Georgia was his 27th international appearance and he has scored 5 goals for the team so far. Gavi is also an integral part of the Barça team. In La Liga, he has played 12 of 13 games for the champions this season.
Despite Gavi's absence due to his injury during the European Championship qualification match against Georgia, Spain still needs to secure the remaining qualification rounds.In the absence of Gavi, Spain's midfield will need to adapt and find ways to compensate for his skills and contributions, as he was a key player in their successful group stage.
Source: www.dpa.com
