Barcelona's impressive start to La Liga under Hansi Flick has been characterised by the team's energy and aggressive style of play.
Part of the initial success of the new strategy implemented by the German manager has been the inclusion of 17-year-old La Masia prodigy Marc Bernal into the squad.
The youngster has managed to ease into the Spanish first division, starting in all three of Barca's league matches, playing a vital role in midfield.
However, it is not all good for the player, as he suffered a possibly serious injury in a match against Rayo Vallecano.
Bernal was taken down in severe pain after a strong challenge in the 99th minute of the match.
He was helped off the field by club doctors, but was having difficulty keeping his feet on the ground.
Barca had to field 10 men to finish the match, as the young players were unable to play in the final minutes of the match.
In fact, the first thing manager Hansi Flick did after the full-time whistle was to rush onto the field to check on Bernal's condition.
The starting situation doesn't look good for Bernal, as the midfielder is likely to suffer a long-term knee injury.
Report from Catalan outlet game He said the player suffered a torn ACL, which would likely rule him out for the rest of the season.
Flick had this to say about the player's situation:
“Nobody is happy in the dressing room. Mark Bernal's situation is not looking good,” The manager said.
The severity of Bernal's knee injury is yet to be seen, but newly arrived Flick and Barcelona fans will certainly miss the player's presence in midfield in the upcoming matches.
Source: Barça One