Barcelona midfielder Gavi will be unavailable for Monday's La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano. The La Masia graduate has not returned to group training after injuring his right knee in the season's opening fixture.
Rayo Vallecano, currently sitting 16th in the La Liga table with just one point, faces a Barcelona side aiming to stay top. Hansi Flick's team completed its final training session at the Ciutat Esportiva ahead of the match at the Spotify Camp Nou, which is part of the third matchday of the 2026-27 season.
Why is Gavi unavailable?
Gavi picked up the injury during the season opener against Elche at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero. He took a knock to his right knee that forced him off the pitch. Initially, the club expected the player to need around a week before returning to train with his teammates, but that timeline has not been met.
The player, who returned late to pre-season after his World Cup involvement with Spain, has not done any group work. The aim now is for him to resume normal training after the Rayo match to be ready for the fourth league fixture against Valencia. The club is not rushing him back due to his past issues with knee injuries.
Which other players affect the squad selection?
Besides Gavi, manager Hansi Flick will also be without Frenkie de Jong. However, he has almost all other first-team players available. Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, who signed a four-year contract, has trained normally for three consecutive sessions. He is yet to be registered in La Liga, so Eder Aller could be included in the matchday squad.
Jesse Bisiwu continues to train with the first team while resolving administrative issues. Youth players Brian Farinas and Hamza Abdelkarim are also training with the main group. Marc Casado was again absent from training as he resolves his future at the club. Roony Bardghji remains unavailable due to an ACL injury suffered in pre-season, which also blocked a potential exit.
What is Rayo Vallecano's current status?
Rayo arrives for this match after a tough start to the season. The team has taken just one point from a possible six, with a record of zero wins, one draw, and one loss. They have scored two goals and conceded three, giving them a -1 goal difference. In the title race, they are eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.
In addition to Isi Palazón's absence, Rayo has Augusto Batalla and Luiz Felipe sidelined. You can check the full squad status on our injuries page. Their next fixture after visiting Camp Nou is at home against Racing Santander, currently ninth in the table, on September 5th.
What does this mean for the match?
Gavi's absence is a significant change in Barcelona's midfield. The Blaugrana aim to extend their unbeaten home run to 21 matches, which would include 19 home league games from last season. For Rayo, this match represents a huge challenge against an in-form opponent, but also a chance to pick up points away from home and improve their position in the standings.
The Vallecas-based side will need a solid and compact performance to stop a Barcelona team that beat Athletic Club on Thursday. The team's planning for this clash can be reviewed on our fixtures calendar.
