Barcelona’s perfect start to La Liga under Hansi Flick has been characterized by the team’s energy and high-tempo playing style.
Part of the early success to the new tactics implemented by the German manager is the inclusion of 17-year-old La Masia wonderkid Marc Bernal.
The youngster has managed to fit into the Spanish first division like a glove, starting all three of Barça’s league matches, and playing a fundamental role in midfield.
It is not all wonderful for the player, however, as he finished the match against Rayo Vallecano with a possibly serious injury.
After a strong challenge in the 99th minute of the match, Bernal was brought down in serious pain.
With the help of the club medics, he walked off the pitch, struggling to put his foot flat on the ground.
Barça had to finish the match with 10 men on the pitch, as the youngster could not play the match’s final minutes.
In fact, the first thing manager Hansi Flick did after the full-time whistle was to run across the pitch to check on Bernal’s condition.
Early sights do not look good for Bernal, with fears of a possibly serious long-term knee injury for the midfielder.
Reports from the Catalan outlet SPORT state that the player has torn his ACL, which would likely leave him out for the rest of the season.
Flick had this to say about the player’s situation:
“Nobody in the dressing room is happy. Marc Bernal’s situation doesn’t look good,” said the manager.
The extent of Bernal’s knee injury remains to be seen, but the newly arrived Flick and Barcelona fans will surely miss the player’s presence in midfield for the coming matches.
Source: Barça One
