Barcelona midfielder will not return to action before September international break | OneFootball

Barcelona are gearing up for their La Liga debut against RCD Mallorca on Saturday night, but are unlikely to have Marc Bernal with them. The 18-year-old midifelder has spent the past year recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which he suffered at the start of last season.

Bernal has been back in training for some time, and completed the entirety of the preseason with the first team. Despite some suggestion that he could be back in action in the Joan Gamper trophy, Bernal remained in the stands though.

Bernal absence will extend another month

The Blaugrana are in little need of him currently, with Marc Casado, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi all capable of playing his role in midfield. However Bernal will not be competing with them until at least September, say MD. They note that Bernal is training at the same intensity as his teammates, and his recovery is on track, but that his return to action will not come until September, and after the international break.

Image via Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters

In mind is Barcelona’s first home game of the season on the 14th of September against Valencia, when he could return to action.

Barcelona slow down recovery of youngsters

The Blaugrana have set a different recovery standard for younger players returning from cruciate ligament or serious injuries of the like. While some senior players in recent years have returned after as a little as six or seven months, Barcelona’s medical staff feel that players that are still growing should have a slower and more careful recovery. Similarly, Gavi returned from his ACL injury a little more than 11 months after his return.

Hansi Flick: ‘It’s not about 2 or 3 weeks, it’s his career’

Meanwhile during his pre-match press conference, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick explained that Bernal was not racing to be back ahead of time.

“When he got injured, the Doctor, Ricard Pruna, said maybe he is one year out, because he is young. It’s not about two or three weeks more or less, because it is his career, and hopefully he can be here for another 15 years. But he’s on the right path, he’s working to be back, and hopefully he will be soon.”

High hopes for Bernal

Bernal sparked widespread excitement at Barcelona at the start of last season, with Flick starting him in the first three games of the year before his injury. Bernal looked at home in midfield, and many wondered if he had a long-term future in the first team.