Barcelona coach will count on two La Masia products to replace injured Marc Bernal

Following a series of recent injuries, Hansi Flick will have some important decisions to make as far as his team-building is concerned.

Marc Bernal’s ACL injury was by far the biggest blow for Barcelona this week, with the youngster ruled out for the entire season.

Bernal’s absence could create a gaping hole in the defensive midfield position, especially with Frenkie de Jong also nursing an injury.

Hansi Flick’s choice to replace Bernal

Finding a replacement for Bernal, therefore, could be important for Barcelona if they are to continue their solid form this season.

To that end, a recent report from SPORT suggests the German has already made his decision, as far as finding a Bernal replacement is concerned.

It appears Flick is counting on Marc Casado to replace Bernal in the pivot position this season. He is hopeful the La Masia prodigy can live up to the expectations, as he is quite similar in nature.

Although Casado hasn’t shown as much promise as Bernal in these early parts of the campaign, the 20-year-old has been a part of Barcelona’s first-team plans for a while now and trained with the squad numerous times.

Casado’s positioning sense, coupled with his technical ability could prove to be useful for Barcelona in their bid to find a new number six.

Eric Garcia: An ideal alternative?

Apart from Casado, the German has another alternative lined up in the form of Eric Garcia.

Flick believes Garcia, another trainee from La Masia, can operate as a makeshift defensive midfielder, as he has operated in that position a few times in the past.

This comes despite the fact that the player has recently picked up an injury.

Until he returns though, Pau Prim could prove to be another alternative for Hansi Flick, in his bid to replace Marc Bernal this season.