The day before Spain played the European Championship final against England in Berlin, Germany, in July 2024, manager Luis de la Fuente announced the team would be welcoming a special guest.

It was Spain’s most important match in a decade, and Gavi had to be there — De la Fuente called him “the 27th player of this squad”.

Gavi was not called up to the tournament in Germany because he was injured. The previous November, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in Spain’s final Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia. Back then, he was essentially the face of the team, its most recognisable and popular star.

When Spain’s King Felipe VI visited the squad, then led by Luis Enrique, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he was given a Gavi shirt to take home. That summed up the player’s status — even at the age of 18.

When Gavi suffered his ACL injury in that European qualifier, it sparked a big debate in Spain over whether De la Fuente really needed to field him when there was nothing at stake (Spain had already clinched their spot at Euro 2024 a month earlier, thanks to Gavi’s winning goal in their qualifier against Norway).

A lot has changed since.

Spain beat England 2-1 in that final to win their first title since the 2012 Euros. Other players stepped up in Gavi’s absence, and De la Fuente’s group have to be considered among the favourites for this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, most likely without Gavi.

Now 21, the midfielder has only played once for the national team since his knee injury in November 2023. That was a 91st-minute substitute appearance in a UEFA Nations League semi-final victory against France in June 2025. He returned from his ACL injury for Barca in October 2024, but was left out of several call-ups following that.

After the first two games of this season, Gavi suffered a torn meniscus in Barcelona training. The timing was awful for him, as he had just been called up by De la Fuente for Spain’s matches that September. He only returned to action on March 15, coming off the bench for eight minutes in Barcelona’s 5-2 home La Liga win over Sevilla. When De la Fuente named his latest Spain squad on March 20, Gavi was not part of it.

Taking into account Gavi’s very recent return to the playing field and his injury history, De la Fuente leaving him out now should not be considered too unusual. The bigger decision for Spain’s coach will come before the World Cup. Gavi is certainly a special case, given his past with Spain and their manager.

“We have spoken with Gavi on multiple occasions and I congratulated him privately when he made his return,” De la Fuente said on Thursday, in a press conference previewing Friday’s friendly match against Serbia.

“He is a very special player for us. From a football perspective, but also for the dressing room. We can wait for positive things around him. We will see how he progresses but two months is a long time in football. We will assess the situation again then. Today is too soon to make a decision, but we would all love to have Gavi.”

It is not impossible Gavi plays his way into De la Fuente’s plans over what remains of the season. That is certainly the player’s dream — and he genuinely believes he can do it — but Spain are not short of quality midfielders.

Some of those players already have a guaranteed spot for summer, barring any last-minute fitness issues. They are Rodri, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri and Dani Olmo. Fermin Lopez is close to their level, and there are two more players who would have the same status already were it not for injuries: Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino. The latter faces a tight challenge to recover in time for the World Cup.

With Fabian and Merino both out, De la Fuente looked instead to Real Betis’ Pablo Fornals, and Real Sociedad’s Carlos Soler in this international break, but he clearly has not forgotten about Gavi.

“His injury back in 2023 was one of the toughest moments I’ve experienced since I took the job,” De la Fuente told broadcaster DAZN in an interview this week. “I know it was for his team-mates as well. I lived through it with pain, as if a family member had suffered an accident. (It was) a big loss.”

Gavi after injuring his knee in November 2023 (Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images)

In the 64-year-old’s management style, dressing room harmony is fundamental. Once any player earns his trust, it is because he knows he will help the team as a collective.

Gavi was part of that core of trusted players, and that will surely boost his chances of returning. But he would still need to play more over the remainder of the season to be considered — and that is not guaranteed.

His best position is where his Barca team-mate Pedri is starring. In holding midfield, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal and Eric Garcia are ahead of him in the pecking order. In attacking midfield, Hansi Flick can call on Olmo and Fermin.

Gavi could easily take over the role of Marc Casado, whose versatility has helped complement each area of Barca’s midfield this season. But, at a moment when the Catalans have lots at stake in every game, with their Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid coming up and the title race with Real Madrid in La Liga heating up, it is unlikely he will be given lots of playing time to force his way back into the Spain picture.

Gavi is in his own race against time before the summer. The best he can hope for is that De la Fuente is forced to make a tough call.