The two options that FC Barcelona handles in the face of Marc Bernal's unfortunate injury

FC Barcelona has once again fallen victim to a harsh episode related to injuries. This time, the affected player is Marc Bernal, which is particularly painful given the circumstances: an extremely young 17-year-old player taking his first steps in top-flight football and, pending official confirmation from the club, could be facing one of the most serious injuries in the world of sports: a ruptured left knee cruciate ligament. This unfortunate physical setback would keep him off the pitch for, in the best and most optimistic scenario, around eight months.

Aside from the emotional and sporting blow of losing a player who was just beginning to establish himself in Hansi Flick's starting eleven, now the German coach will have to figure out how to deal with this absence. In the short term and while waiting to find out if the team can look for a replacement in the central midfield position in the market, the Catalan side has a couple of internal alternatives while players like Pablo Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, and even Andreas Christensen and Eric García recover.

FC Barcelona's options to strengthen the midfield in the absence of Marc Bernal

Under this premise, the first option the team may be considering is Marc Casadó. The Sant Pere de Vilamajor native has been one of the regulars in the German coach's starting eleven during the 2024/25 preseason, operating in the double pivot and participating in matches against Manchester City (74'), Real Madrid (77'), and AC Milan (90'). He even had the opportunity to start in the first official match of the 2024/25 season against Valencia CF (90'). However, after that game, he did not get more minutes as Hansi Flick has been opting to give playing time to Pedri González in the midfield base.

However, Marc Casadó is not Barcelona's only option to reinforce that position. They are also considering, albeit perhaps with less strength, the inclusion of Pau Prim, another talented midfielder developed in La Masia, but who has not yet had the chance to debut in the first team due to his absence in the 24/25 preseason. So far, he has stood out mainly for his performances with Barça B, where he has had several notable displays.

Which midfielder will Hansi Flick opt for?

Now, it will be crucial for Hansi Flick to decide who will make it into his starting eleven: will he go for the profile of Marc Casadó, more experienced, dynamic, with good physical and defensive deployment, tactically intelligent, and collaborative in creating play from the back and sometimes pushing forward? Or, on the contrary, will he lean towards Pau Prim, a player whose strength is not defensive work, but who has shown his ability to create 'magic' with the ball, being ambidextrous and excelling in the creative aspect, perhaps similar to Sergio Busquets?