Barcelona returned to winning ways on Sunday with an emphatic victory over Valencia, and it was a particular special day for Marc Bernal. The 18-year-old midfielder made his return to action as a late substitute, which marked his return to action after over a year out.
Bernal had been sidelined since last August when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Rayo Vallecano. He has been in training for several weeks, but Hansi Flick chose not to take any unnecessary risks with his recovery, which meant he only made his reappearance at the weekend.
As per Barca One (via MD), Bernal reacted to making his first appearance in 13 months, as he also paid tribute to those that helped him come back from the ACL injury.
“I’m very happy, very happy, all my teammates and staff have come to congratulate me. It has been a very hard road, it has been a hard process, but today has ended with a very beautiful day. It helped me to be stronger, to know myself more.
“I am happy with the attendance, but above all with the three points. I have remembered my family, especially my mother, with whom I was locked up in a hotel for a month, and also with the physio Borja, who has suffered more from me.”
Bernal to see further minutes in next few weeks
The plan is for Bernal, who had attracted a lot of interest over the summer, to be eased back slowly, although he could be set for an increased number of minutes over the coming weeks. Gavi is out until the start of November with a knee issue, while Frenkie de Jong has also been struggling with a small injury of late. As such, he could be in line for increased prominence as an expedited rate.
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