Bernal’s Comeback and Future Prospects at Barcelona

Marc Bernal, who advanced through Barcelona’s youth system, faced a challenging setback last season when he suffered a significant knee injury during a La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano in August 2024, which prematurely ended his season.

After 382 days on the sidelines, Barcelona announced on September 13 that Bernal had fully recovered. He made an impressive return the following day, contributing an assist in the team’s commanding 6-0 league victory over Valencia, where Fermin Lopez, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski each netted two goals at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

Determined to ensure a measured return to full fitness, Bernal has since made only three additional appearances for Barcelona this season, including matches against Real Oviedo in the league and both Paris Saint-Germain and Olympiacos in the Champions League.

Recent reports from the Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo indicate that Bernal is evaluating his options as the January transfer window approaches. Although Hansi Flick’s management reportedly does not intend to let him leave, Bernal is contemplating a loan move to secure more playing time.

In a further development, Bernal was omitted from Spain’s Under-21 squad for the upcoming international break, with head coach David Gordo citing Bernal’s lack of game time as the reason. Gordo remarked, “Marc is one of our own, but he’s not in a comfortable situation right now. He’s getting very little playing time, and we’ve selected a squad that we believe will secure six crucial points for our league standing.”

Spain’s U21 team is set to face San Marino and Romania in their next European Championship qualifiers on November 14 and November 18, respectively. Currently, Gordo’s squad remains unbeaten in qualifying, having won their first three matches in Group A.

On the other hand, Lamine Yamal from Barcelona will represent Spain during the international break, having been called up for crucial matches against Georgia and Turkey. His previous absence from the national squad was due to a recurrence of a pubalgia injury, but Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente has expressed confidence in Yamal’s readiness to compete, stating, “The answer is obvious. I watched his last game and believe he’s in perfect condition.”

Before the international duties commence, Barcelona is set to face Celta Vigo in the league on Sunday evening. It remains uncertain whether Bernal will be given a chance to showcase his abilities as Flick’s squad aims to recover from their recent 3-3 draw with Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Following that match, Flick expressed support for his team, acknowledging the need for improvement: “We have to keep working. We are not at our best, but we must remain positive. We will return to our best form when we have players like Raphinha, Pedri, and Joan Garcia back. As Barcelona, we aspire to be intense both with and without the ball. We have an opportunity to perform better against Celta.”