Flick confirms Gavi out, Dani Olmo ‘an option’ against Valencia
The coach provided injury updates ahead of Thursday’s clash
Barcelona look to take a big step in this season’s Copa del Rey as the Catalans travel to Mestalla for a huge one-legged quarter-final tie against Valencia on Thursday evening.
Tuesday brought some good news as Dani Olmo return to training after missing two weeks with a calf issue, and the attacking midfielder’s return comes at a perfect time thanks to the head injury sustained by Gavi during last weekend’s clash with Alavés.
Hansi Flick confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that Gavi is in concussion protocol and will not be available for the trip, but that Olmo is indeed back and is expected to play some minutes in the second half.
“Dani is an option for the second half, for Gavi there is a protocol and he is not an option for tomorrow. Today he trained on the sidelines and it is good to do this because the blow was very hard, also for the opponent who had an injury.
“Dani has shown in many games how important he is for us. He scores goals, he knows how to keep the ball. It’s important to have players like him in the team, but we have to take care of him. He has been injured quite a lot, but we also have to make him play. We have to be careful, know how he feels in order to adapt. He’s very important for us.”
Dani Olmo has unfortunately lived up to the reputation of being somewhat of an injury-prone player since arriving at Barça, but his impact on the team is also undeniable when he’s fully healthy. Here’s hoping he can remain fit for a long stretch of time, and his return certainly adds creativity and scoring prowess to the Blaugrana midfield with big games coming up.
As for Gavi it’s a good idea to keep him out and be very smart with his status. Head injuries are no joke and must be taken as serious as possible, and if Gavi has to miss multiple games until his consussion symptoms go away, then so be it.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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