The 2025/2026 season started with FC Barcelona thrashing RCD Mallorca at the Camp de Fútbol Son Moix (0-3). For the match, Hansi Flick chose Pedri Gonzalez, Frenkie de Jong, and Fermín López to start in midfield.
Gavi saw minutes in the second half, entering in the 69th minute for Pau Cubarsí, while Marc Casadó remained on the substitutes' bench without being able to play minutes in the first matchday of LaLiga.
However, beyond the rumors about the possible transfer of the player from Sant Pere de Vilamajor, the coaching staff still considers him a key piece for their rotation plan. The same happens with the Andalusian player.
Gavi: Heart and an undeniable engine in Barcelona's midfield.
The Barça youth player is undoubtedly one of the players who has won the hearts of all the Catalan fans for his great dedication on the field, fighting for every ball with a lot of grit and heart.
Despite not yet being an undisputed starter for the German coach, Gavi is a very important piece to achieve a correct balance in the management of minutes of the culé squad.
The qualities of the 21-year-old midfielder are not foreign to Flick's eyes, and one of his greatest attributes is his great ability to press and excellent ball recovery.
The '6' of the blaugrana club has the grit, energy, and attitude that the coach looks for in players, which is something that Flick loves to see during matches. Gavi played 26 matches in LaLiga last season, playing a total of 1,083 minutes.
He also participated in 10 matches in the Champions League, 4 matches in the Copa del Rey, and 1 match in the Spanish Super Cup, which adds up to a total of 1688 minutes in 42 matches, numbers that reflect the role that the Barça strategist has given to the young midfielder. Furthermore, in the preseason, he displayed a remarkable physical level, scoring 3 goals in the Asian tour.
Despite the notable aspects of the player from Los Palacios y Villafranca, ahead of him are great players who show technical aspects and possess greater experience and hierarchy in the midfield, such as Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
However, the Andalusian is still very young (he just turned 21 last August 5th) and continues to be one of the future bets that the blaugrana club has, being able to be a starter in the coming years.
Marc Casadó: indispensable to accompany Pedri in midfield
Marc Casadó is going through a very similar case to Gavi. He is a footballer with great technical qualities who has surprised Flick, but his youth and the presence of players with greater hierarchy relegate him to the substitutes' bench for the moment.
The '17' of Barça stands out for his positional intelligence, efficiency in distributing the ball, and tactical discipline, being aspects that are fundamental in the culé team.
Last season, the Spanish player participated in 23 matches in LaLiga, 10 in the Champions League, 1 in the Copa del Rey, and 2 in the Spanish Super Cup, playing a total of 2,447 minutes of play.
Although he started the season as a starter alongside Pedri, he lost his place from January with De Jong. In addition, he was out from the end of March due to an injury to his right knee that sidelined him in the last two months of 24/25.
Gavi and Casadó: key players in Barcelona's rotation
FC Barcelona aspires to all the titles of the current season, and for this, it needs a broad squad that helps it face the large number of matches it has in the season. Gavi and Casadó will be fundamental pieces in Flick's rotation scheme, so, despite not being regular starters, their prominence is assured.
They are players who possess qualities to replace the starters coming off the bench and also to replace them in case of a significant injury. With both youth players in the squad, the azulgrana midfield is well covered in the present and also in the future.