Marc Bernal was in the Barcelona starting XI again on Saturday as Hansi Flick’s side beat Villarreal 4-1 in La Liga.
The midfielder has had to be patient since returning from his ACL injury and is slowly growing in prominence as we head towards the business end of the season.
Flick admits he’s liking what he sees from the youngster and explained why he’s moved ahead of Marc Casado in the pecking order at Barca.
“Casadó missed a day of training this week, and yesterday he couldn’t do much even though
he trained,“ he told reporters.
“Ultimately, Bernal is a bit ahead of him right now, and he played well today. He’s also scored goals and is giving us good structure. It’s important for us to keep possession and switch to the wings. I like what I see when he plays at this level.”
Frenkie de Jong’s injury means that Bernal has the chance to really make an impact in the coming weeks. The Dutch midfielder is expected to miss at least a month with a hamstring problem.
