FC Barcelona are hoping to have some understanding of what they are going to do without Marc Bernal. Despite being on 17 years old, the young Spaniard became an undisputed starter for Hansi Flick in the first few games. Now that he is injured, however, Barcelona will need to find alternative solutions.
Moreover, given the fact that it is an ACL injury after all, the player will likely miss the entirety of this ongoing season. That is why Hansi Flick needs an immediate replacement, and one who can carry on doing whatever is needed of him until the very last game of the campaign.
Recent reports claimed that the Barcelona coach, taking into account the club’s inability to sign players, has made his decision about which two players he can count on to replace Bernal. One of them is Marc Casado, but the other is a proven veteran of the team, Frenkie de Jong.
Unfortunately, De Jong has been out for around four months by now due to injury. However, it seems that Barcelona will not have to wait for too much longer to have their Dutch maestro back and ready for action. According to MARCA, his return will take place after the upcoming international break and he could potentially feature in the game against Girona.
As it stands, MARCA reports that it will take around two weeks for the player to make his return. For now, however, he continues his recovery and has been taking regular tests to check the state of his injured ankle. Fortunately, there seem to be a lot of positive signs to showcase improvement and recovery.
With Bernal now out of the equation, it will be up to the Dutch midfielder to step up and help out the team. He was brought in from Ajax several years ago, but he has been unable to consistently sustain his highest level at Barcelona. This season, however, he will be expected to step up and do so without any excuses.
Another player whose return will likely come before the end of the year could be Gavi. The young Golden Boy continues to work tirelessly to make his return and his recovery has been going quite well. It is expected that he may return at some point in either October or November, but the signs so far have been more than positive.
Moreover, with news that Stefan Bajcetic’s potential move to Barcelona will no longer be possible, it becomes even more important for Hansi Flick and his team to have their injured players return on time. At the very least, the coach will want to have his current squad available and healthy.
