Injuries have been a major problem for FC Barcelona in recent seasons, and it is always clear why. Last season, the Catalan giants visibly suffered from the absence of several key players. However, it seems that these problems have followed Barcelona this season as well.

Combined with the financial constraints and limitations, it was clear that injuries were the last thing Barcelona needed at the moment, especially now that it is almost impossible for the club to even consider signing new players to compensate for the injuries.

Unfortunately, Barcelona are not letting up, instead they are taking a break. 17-year-old Marc Bernal, one of the club’s most promising young players, was the club’s latest injured player when he limped off the pitch in the final minutes against Rayo Vallecano, leaving Barça fearing the worst.

However, the worst fears regarding his injury now seem to have been realized. According to the ever-reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Bernal has indeed torn his anterior cruciate ligament, which in turn means the player has suffered a long-term injury.

Romano also clarified that the player is expected to be out for at least a couple of months, while other sources indicate that the player’s season seems to be over now with this injury. Regardless of which report turns out to be more accurate, it is at least certain that the player will miss at least a large portion of this season.

Although Barcelona won away against Rayo Vallecano, it is absolutely clear that the team has suffered a huge loss. Bernal was one of the most outstanding players of Flick’s team and his injury comes at a very difficult time as the club may struggle to find an adequate replacement. His profile is not easy to find at La Masia either.