His start to the season pointed to a promising first season. But then Marc Bernal tore his cruciate ligament – and will now miss FC Barcelona for a long time after successful surgery
So far, everything has gone according to plan at FC Barcelona under new head coach Hansi Flick – at least in sporting terms. The Catalans have won all of their first four competitive matches and are top of the La Liga table with twelve points. And yet the Blaugrana did not go into the international break without a care in the world
Comparisons with Busquets
The reason for this is the serious injury to home-grown Marc Bernal. The 17-year-old defensive midfielder was in FCB’s starting eleven for the first three matchdays, and the first comparisons with Sergio Busquets were quickly made due to his appealing performances and physical similarities. However, the 1.88 meter tall youngster will not be his successor for the time being
In stoppage time of the 2:1 win against Rayo Vallecano, Bernal was left lying on the touchline after a tackle and had to leave the pitch supported by supporters. “Nobody in the changing room is feeling well at the moment,” said Flick, describing the depressed mood in the team, which was confirmed shortly afterwards by the feared diagnosis: a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee and damage to the outer meniscus.
Operation is successful
At least the Catalans were able to announce a first, albeit small, step towards Bernal’s recovery on Monday. The surgical procedure on the young professional’s knee was a success, FC Barcelona wrote on its website. The downside of this: From now on, the rocky road back begins, for which the Blaugrana have set aside twelve months.
Bernal’s three competitive appearances for FCB will therefore in all likelihood not be joined by any more this season