Barcelona manager Hansi Flick wants two improvements before giving Marc Bernal more game time | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has been tentative with his use of Marc Bernal this season, easing the 18-year-old midfielder back into the fold after a year out of action due to a cruciate ligament injury. The German manager has turned more often to Bernal in recent weeks, following an injury to Pedri, but has demanded two improvements before he gives him more game time.

Bernal has played 17 games so far, providing one assist, but most of them have been minor minutes off the bench. They amount to just 439 minutes, and just four have been starts. The most Bernal has played in any game was the 66 minutes he saw this Tuesday against Albacete.

Flick wants fitter Bernal

Image via David Ramos/Getty Images

Part of that may be down to the fact that Flick does not believe that Bernal is as fit as his teammates, as per Sport. The teenager has been back in fulll training for the past six months, but faces a difficult challenge to regain match fitness, given his lack of minutes. Flick had the following to say before the Blaugrana faced Elche this past weekend.

“He needs to play the same way he did before the injury. He’s good with the ball, knows the right spaces, and creates the right chances. Against Copenhagen, the defense improved a lot. He needs to raise his fitness level, but he’s very good.”

Bernal must play faster

“He’s improving, but he needs to play faster,” Flick commented less than a week later after their 2-1 win over Albacete. The Catalan daily say he is likely to play again this weekend as Barcelona host RCD Mallorca, but Bernal needs to circulate the ball faster, and press harder – there were various occasions in the Copa del Rey tie when Bernal was a second late to get to his man in midfield. His performance against Copenhagen was a sight of the Bernal that impressed in his first few games in the first team though.