Barcelona's breakout star for 2025-26: Marc Bernal looking to put 346 days of injury hell behind him

New York Times

2 days ago

When Marc Bernal fell to the ground in the 94th minute of Barcelona's visit to Rayo Vallecano last August, he knew it was bad.
That was why Pau Cubarsi and Dani Olmo covered their faces as soon as they came over to their team-mate. The then 17-year-old midfielder's dream was over for that season before it had even really begun — he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and suffered an associated injury to his outer meniscus, ruling him out for the campaign in just its third game.
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When Hansi Flick was appointed as Barcelona coach in May last year, Bernal had spent the previous season with their second team, Barca Atletic, in Spain's third division. The German arrived with a good knowledge of all the club's young players and had asked for references on all of them. He had been told that one starlet had shown potential to be the first team's defensive midfielder for some time to come. He'd been labelled a 'new Sergio Busquets', something Barca had been looking for since the Spain international's departure at age 34 after the previous campaign.
That summer of 2024 featured two international tournaments, the European Championship and the Copa America, meaning many key Barcelona players returned later than usual from their holidays after being on duty with their country. Flick therefore had to start his first pre-season in charge with a very young group and then also take some of them on the club's pre-season tour to the United States.
That gave those youngsters a chance to get to know their new manager and gain some valuable minutes with the first team. Several stood out, but one of them totally kicked down the doors: Bernal.
Flick loved the defensive midfielder's style of play. With Frenkie de Jong suffering from an ankle injury and the club having looked to sign someone in that position for some time anyway, the answer appeared to be right there at home, particularly given Barca's delicate financial situation.
Previous coach Xavi had wanted Martin Zubimendi, then at Real Sociedad, in 2023, while the club were keen on Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich. But when Flick saw the youth-team pairing of Bernal and Marc Casado, now 21, he decided there was no need to sign anyone else. The search for a defensive midfielder was halted.
Forming a double pivot with Casado at the base of midfield in that pre-season, Bernal's talent did not go unnoticed. After a friendly against his Manchester City side, Pep Guardiola said, 'Marc Bernal has impressed me, the way he controls the ball, the way he plays.'
Bernal is a player who is reminiscent of Busquets in many ways. Though he now stands at 6ft 4in (193cm), four centimetres taller than the Barca and Spain legend, he resembles him in terms of his intelligence on the ball, control and ability to start moves from the back. As was the case with the now Inter Miami midfielder, dressing-room sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — say Bernal's attitude is impeccable.
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The confidence Flick showed in him was not only evident in conversations, but also his decision to name him in the starting line-up for the first few games of last season. Bernal was caught out for one of the goals Monaco scored in the pre-season Joan Gamper friendly match, which Barcelona lost 3-0, but Flick kept him in the starting line-up when the season officially started.
Bernal and Casado started the first La Liga match of the season together against Valencia, but Flick's choice between the two was clear when Pedri returned to the starting XI after a rest following his triumph with Spain at the Euros, with Bernal given the nod. He continued in defensive midfield against Athletic Club and Rayo before his injury in the latter game on August 27.
Casado stepped up in Bernal's absence, even staying in the line-up when De Jong was available again. But the Dutchman eventually regained his place and went on to show some of his best form in his six seasons at Barca. Even so, Flick's second choice in the position is still Bernal.
He has made this clear to the player himself, while also saying he wants to be patient with him and avoid any risk of an injury relapse. Bernal was finally medically discharged from his injury on Friday — 346 days after it happened — although Barca doctors advise that players under 20 who suffer that kind of knee issue generally take around a year before they are available for selection again (August 27 would be after Barca's first two La Liga matches against Real Mallorca and Levante).
Sources close to the player say Flick has spoken to him a lot since his injury.
Once Bernal underwent surgery, he even went to see him in hospital, giving him a self-improvement book called Supera Tus Limites (Overcome Your Limits) by psychologist Jordi Gil Martin. The German wrote a dedication to Bernal at the front of the book, which went beyond a 'get well soon' message, according to sources close to the player, reminding him he was still very young and had his whole career ahead of him, which Bernal was amazed by.
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During his time away from the pitch, he has trained hard and gained muscle mass, especially in his upper body. He has also grown two centimetres in height. Voices close to him say it was possibly the hardest time of his life; in an interview with club channel Barca One, Bernal said sometimes he wanted to spend whole days sleeping.
He lived at the club's La Masia youth facilities during his recovery, although he had to spend the first month and a half in a hotel opposite. The club offered him that option so he could be with his mother, as he needed help with everything in the first month after his operation, including washing himself, dressing, walking and cooking. Having turned 18 in May, he will leave La Masia to live independently elsewhere.
Those close to Bernal are confident he has developed the tools to deal with any more tough times that might come his way in the future. He was also helped by seeing a coach he has worked with since the age of 14 on a weekly basis.
While he was injured, the club renewed his contract until 2026, inserting a €500million release clause.
Bernal's return to action will be gradual, and he is expected to start playing more from mid-September onwards.
As fate would have it, his return could happen on the very pitch where he was injured: Barca's third league game of the season is away against Rayo on August 31. However, club sources say it may be delayed until a few weeks later, with the midweek Champions League fixtures coming into the picture from September 16. He could also step up to the plate when De Jong needs a rest or suffers an injury.
A year on from his lowest point, everything is going Bernal's way.
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