Barcelona reject RFEF’s request to allow young midfielder to play in FIFA U20 World Cup | OneFootball

After a year on the sidelines, Marc Bernal is nearing his return to the pitch and is expected to be back sometime around September.

There is excitement surrounding the young midfielder, who is regarded highly in the Barcelona camp and will be competing with Frenkie de Jong for a place in the starting eleven.

The 18-year-old underwent surgery last September, is now medically cleared and expected to receive his competitive green light mid-September.

Barcelona not allowing Bernal to play in U20 World Cup

While the club have taken a cautious approach to his recovery, the RFEF has shown interest in taking Bernal to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, which takes place from September 27 to October 19.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the RFEF enquired about Bernal’s availability for the tournament, even considering him as a reinforcement for coach Paco Gallardo’s squad.

But Barcelona have rejected the request outright, insisting that the midfielder’s return must be phased carefully and that rushing him into international duty would be too great a risk.

Marc Bernal is expected to return to action next month. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

The decision means Bernal will not feature for Spain in Chile, despite expectations that he will be fully registered for competitive play by that time.

Instead, the youngster will likely begin picking up minutes with Barcelona in the weeks following the international break, with his debut targeted for mid-September against Valencia at the Camp Nou.

Flick’s cautious plan

Hansi Flick, who values Bernal highly and sees him as a long-term pivot for Barcelona’s midfield, is in no hurry to overexpose the teenager.

The German coach intends to ease him back gradually, similar to how Gavi was managed following his injury comeback last year.

With top European clubs already monitoring Bernal, Barcelona remain determined to keep him central to their plans and are expected to extend his contract soon.