Last regular player

Horror diagnosis! Barca player out for a year

Hansi Flick will have to do without one of his greatest talents for a year.(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FC Barcelona announced on Monday that midfield gem Marc Bernal will have to take a full year off following his injury in the game against Rayo Vallecano. The 17-year-old has since undergone successful surgery following a cruciate ligament rupture.

The season has actually got off to a fantastic start for midfield gem Bernal. The 17-year-old was integrated into the first team by coach Hansi Flick. On the first matchday of the new season, he made his competitive debut for the Catalans against Valencia. Flick named him in the starting eleven in each of the following matches.

But then came the big shock. In the game against Rayo Vallecano two weeks ago, Bernal was injured in a tackle in stoppage time. He had to be carried off the pitch, and Flick and his team were equally worried. A short time later, it was clear that the 17-year-old had torn his cruciate ligament and would need an operation. He was expected to be out of action for six months.

A bitter setback
Too positive an estimate, as it now turns out. The 1.88 meter tall midfielder has now undergone surgery and, as it turns out, the meniscus has also been affected. Following the successful operation, FC Barcelona announced on Monday that they will have to do without the talented player for a year.

Marc Bernal had to be carried off the pitch in tears.(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Bernal is not expected to return until September 2025. A bitter diagnosis that will brutally slow down the Spaniard's meteoric rise. It remains to be seen how well the 17-year-old can recover from the horror injury.