Big news in Barcelona today, and it isn’t good! Young phenom midfielder Marc Bernal has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, in last night’s win over Rayo Vallecano. The club has released a statement confirming the worst- he’s done for the season.
“It’s a sad victory because Marc Bernal is injured,” Blaugranes boss Hansi Flick said in his post match news conference on Tuesday night.
FC Barcelona vs Valladolid FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday Aug. 31, Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
La Liga Standing, Form: Valladolid 10th, 4 pts, WD FC Barcelona 1st, 9 pts, WWW
Google Result Probability: Valladolid 8% Draw 14% FC Barcelona 78%
Barca Team News
“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.”
Bernal, along with winger Lamine Yamal and defender Pau Cubarsi, are 17-year-olds who started each of the first three matches for the Catalan club this season. Bernal isn’t the only midfielder in the Barca squad dealing with an ACL injury. Gavi tore his last November, and his timeline for return, at least as of now, is late September to early October.
Elsewhere central defender Eric Garcia missed out last night, and he’s thus a doubt for Saturday, when Valladolid come to town.
“First-team player Eric Garcia has plantar fasciitis in his right foot. His evolution will determine his return to training,” reads a statement from the club. Garcia returned to Catalonia after spending last season on loan at Girona.
He is the subject of transfer speculation though, with talk of a move back to Girona swirling. So he could be unavailable this weekend for two reasons.
Finally, Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo and Ansu Fati all remain out as long-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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