Barcelona’s Worst Fears Comes True as La Masia Gem Ruled Out for the Season Due to an ACL Injury

Barcelona have officially confirmed that 17-year-old midfield prodigy Marc Bernal has suffered an ACL injury, which could rule him out for the entire 2024/25 campaign.

This is a very disheartening update for everyone linked to Marc Bernal and Barcelona. Bernal was forced off in the dying moments of Barca's thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona scripted an incredible comeback, as they came from a goal down to win the match. Goals from Pedri and new signing Dani Olmo sealed the win, which means that the Blaugrana have started their La Liga season with three wins from three games. However, the victory was bittersweet because of Bernal’s injury.  

Following Barcelona’s win, head coach Hansi Flick expressed his concern regarding Marc Bernal’s injury during a post-match press conference. He said, “It's a sad victory because Marc Bernal is injured and it looks not so good. We have to wait and see how heavy it is. We win, it's OK, but when you see the dressing room nobody is happy. It's not good. He made a fantastic match -- 17-years-old, such a performance. It hurts." 

Earlier today, Hansi Flick’s worst fears came true. In an official club statement, Barcelona have confirmed that Marc Bernal has indeed suffered an ACL injury. The statement read, “Tests carried out on Wednesday have shown that the player Marc Bernal has a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus. In the coming days he will undergo a surgical procedure and when completed an update will be provided.” 

Marc Bernal is the latest prodigy to roll off La Masia's production line. The 17-year-old midfielder started Blaugrana’s first three La Liga games, completely bossing the midfield with his technical abilities. Many eagle-eyed viewers of Barcelona’s games had drawn parallels between Sergio Busquets and Marc Bernal. Unfortunately, his ACL injury is set to stall his rise in European football for at least a season.  

Bernal's setback only adds to Hansi Flick’s woes, as Barca's midfield options are stretched thin. With Gavi and Frenkie De Jong out until late September and Ilkay Gundogan's contract terminated, leading to his return to Manchester City, Barcelona finds themselves in the midst of a midfield crisis. Once again, Flick and the Blaugrana might have to rely heavily on La Masia’s young talents to see them through. Another option for Barcelona is to dip back into the transfer market. However, Hansi Flick has stated that Barca can deal with the current injury crisis without the need to dip back into the transfer market. In a post-match press conference, Flick said, “Now we have to think about everything, but at the end of the day we have many players. We have one match more before the international break and then hopefully players coming back. We can cover the No.6 (position) no problem."  

Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About the Revamped Champions League Format