Barcelona shot down RFEF’s enquiry over young talent’s availability for U-20 World Cup | OneFootball

This weekend is set to be a momentous one for a certain Marc Bernal as he is poised to return to the Barcelona matchday squad after over a year out.

The teenage midfield prodigy suffered an ACL rupture in August last year and has not played a single minute of football since.

Having worked hard on his recovery, Bernal has been fit and training with the group for a few weeks now, and will finally receive the green light to return to the squad this weekend vs Valencia.

No U-20 World Cup for Bernal

Given his imminent return to action, Mundo Deportivo reveals that the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) approached Barcelona to discuss Bernal’s potential availability for the upcoming FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

The tournament is set to get underway in Chile on 27 September and will run until 19 October. And the RFEF expressed interest in having Bernal play for Spain at the event now that he has fully recovered.

On the verge of return. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

However, the request from the RFEF was quickly shot down by Barcelona, which is very much understandable.

Considering Bernal’s age and the nature of his injury, rushing him back into action, that too at a big event like the U-20 World Cup, would lead to further risks.

Keeping him at the club, under the watchful eye of Hansi Flick and his staff, who will take a cautious approach and ease him back into action, is the right way to go about things.

The youngster, for his part, is eager to get back into action at the earliest possible, and had even pushed to play at the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Como last month.

But Flick & co. explained to him that his recovery must be treated with greater care, considering the nature of his injury. Now, everything points at Bernal being included in the squad vs Valencia.