Barcelona have rejected an approach from the Spanish Federation and will not allow 18-year-old midfielder Marc Bernal to represent La Roja in the upcoming U-20 World Cup in Chile.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who report there was a recent contact from the RFEF regarding the status of Bernal for the tournament that begins in late September in Chile, but were told by Barça that the player won’t be anywhere near physically ready for a tournament as demanding and competitive as a World Cup.
The
report says the RFEF understood Barça’s reasoning completely and there are no hard feelings regarding their rejection.
Bernal, who suffered an ACL injury almost exactly a year ago, will be carefully reintegrated into the first team dynamic over the next couple of weeks with the goal of having him in the squad for the first game after the international break against Valencia.
Hansi Flick and his medical staff will take every precaution necessary to ensure Bernal’s minutes and workload are handed properly in his first few weeks and months back in action to avoid any setbacks.
