Injury update: Date set for Barcelona’s key midfielder to undergo surgery

Barcelona’s new season has got off to a flying start. With four wins in four games, the Catalans are firmly in the driver’s seat in La Liga and appear to have most, if not all bases covered.

The one black mark on the team’s campaign so far, however, is the season-ending injury to star midfielder Marc Bernal.

Widely eyed as the next big defensive midfielder in the academy, the youngster rose up the ranks to impress Hansi Flick in pre-season. In just his third official game, however, he tore his ACL and is set to be out for a year.

Date set for surgery

As is the norm after a cruciate ligament rupture, Bernal must now go under the blade to facilitate a complete recovery.

Marc Bernal will miss the rest of the season. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, a date has finally been set for the 17-year-old’s surgical intervention. He will be operated on later this week, on Wednesday, September 4th.

The surgery will be carried out by Dr. Joan Carles Monllau with supervision by Barcelona’s medical head Dr. Ricard Pruna.

Monllau is immensely experienced in the field of sports injuries and, in fact, also operated on Gavi’s ACL injury last season. Among others he has overseen surgeries for are Alexia Putellas, Phillipe Coutinho, Martin Braithwaite and Sergio Lozano. 

While the blow to Bernal is indeed a stern one, there is good reason to believe that he will be able to return to his best version.

For starters, his body is still young and growing and at 17 years of age, is well-equipped to regenerate and repair.

Further, his position on the field does not require immense bursts of speed to put pressure on the ligaments in the future to threaten a relapse.