De la Fuente ‘annoyed’ at being blamed for Gavi’s injury
The midfielder’s ACL injury ‘was an accident’
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has admitted he’s been annoyed at being criticised for his role in Barcelona star Gavi’s knee injury.
Gavi has been out for almost a year after suffering an ACL tear while playing for Spain against Georgia last November.
The injury came during a hectic schedule for Gavi and in a meaningless match for Spain as they had already qualified for Euro 2024.
This led some at Barcelona to point the finger at De La Fuente, but he insists that Gavi’s injury was simply an accident.
“No, I have pointed this out, but I was annoyed that people took advantage of this situation that has been shown to have been an accident, the same thing that is unfortunately happening now with the injuries of Rodrigo, Carvajal or Ter Stegen.
“There is no need to look for those responsible, this is football. And it is true that we must always look after the health of the footballer. And look for the tools so that the footballer feels safer. How? Well, with fewer games. But let’s sit down, let the world of football sit down, with the footballers and the clubs to assess whether fewer games should be played.
“What is not worth it is not saying anything at the time of drawing up the calendar. We must all be in agreement. We must seek that balance between the economic part and the health of the footballer, which must always come first.
“But the national team is a victim of this. And mistreated, of course. We all think about the clubs, but the national team also has a very important role, because it then gives value to the clubs. And I can tell you, from my experience, that clubs are interested in having players in the national team. The more international players they have, the more value they have.”
The good news is that Gavi is on the comeback trail and hoping to make his long-awaited return to first-team action shortly. Barcelona play Sevilla next and Gavi could be included in the squad.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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