Marc Bernal will not be available this Sunday for the friendly against Vissel Kobe. Although the midfielder has trained with the rest of the squad since the start of the preseason, he still does not have official medical clearance and is unlikely to play any minutes on the Asian tour.
The player from Berga suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and an associated injury to the external meniscus in Vallecas during the third matchday of LaLiga 24/25. His recovery period was estimated at one year and it is most likely that Flick will respect this time off.
The coaching staff already handled Gavi's return last season with caution, although the Andalusian shortened his return by a couple of months. The plan with Bernal aims to give him residual minutes during the first matches of the 25/26 season and, later, increase the number of appearances as he manages to perform on the field.
Marc Bernal, confident in regaining prominence with Barça
Beyond whether or not he gets to play on the Asian tour, Marc is confident in regaining the lost prominence in the upcoming season. The 18-year-old player was a starter in the first three matchdays of LaLiga prior to his very serious injury and the club is betting on his future with a renewal until 2029.
The '28', in fact, brought forward his return to the Ciutat Esportiva by a couple of weeks to get in top physical shape before the start of the preseason. For now, he shows a noticeably superior musculature compared to last year, in addition to feeling very good mentally.
His name has been mentioned as a possible reinforcement for several clubs in LaLiga and Italy, but Bernal has no doubts about his future in Barcelona. Although he will have a lot of competition for a place in the starting eleven with Frenkie de Jong and Marc Casadó, Flick will give him opportunities as his performance supports him.
For now, the player from Berga has 31 appearances with the reserve team and 5 with the U-19s, in addition to three La Liga matchdays with the first team. Understanding that Barça Atlètic will play the 25/26 season in the Segunda RFEF, his return to the reserve team seems completely ruled out, this in case he needs some matches to gain rhythm.
Cubarsí and Bernal joke about their physical condition in Japan
In Saturday's training session, prior to the match against Vissel, Pau Cubarsí joked with Bernal about his knees. The center-back hit the midfielder's left knee simulating a medical examination to verify the condition of the area affected by the injury.
The '2' will be available this Sunday and could be a starter in the first friendly of the summer. Bernal, on the other hand, will wait for the medical clearance that allows him to be available in South Korea, against FC Seoul (August 31) or Daegu FC (August 4). Otherwise, he will have to wait for the Gamper (August 10 against Como) to try to add minutes.
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