Spain U21 coach opens up on Barcelona starlet’s withdrawal from squad – ‘It was best for him’ | OneFootball

In addition to the Spanish national team, the Spain U21 side will also be involved in action this international break as they take on Norway and Finland.

One of the notable exclusions from the team is Marc Bernal, who continues to remain out of the U21 side despite returning to first-team action with Barcelona.

Heading into the friendly against Norway, the U21 coach David Gordo, spoke to the media, where he admitted trying his best to make Bernal a part of the squad.

David Gordo on why Bernal couldn’t make it

Gordo explained why Bernal was withdrawn from the squad after initially being included, stating that Barcelona sent a report detailing how he was feeling discomfort.

“Marc Bernal was included in the squad, and in the end, FC Barcelona sent us a medical report indicating he was experiencing discomfort. He’s recovered well, which we’re very happy about because he’s an important player,” he said (h/t MARCA).

Gordo is hopeful that Bernal will be able to play for the U21 side in the next international break, provided he continues to recover.

“He wasn’t able to be with us this time, but possibly in the next window, if everything is normal and he’s working well and in good condition, he’s a player we could call up.

“Football has these processes: sometimes there are discomforts, and it takes time to recover,” he said.

Marc Bernal is still yet to get past his fitness woes. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Gordo went on to confirm that the Spain U21 association was even in contact with the medical team surrounding Bernal’s fitness, and it was finally agreed that the young midfielder was not in a position to feature this international window.

“It’s normal, it doesn’t keep us up at night, and we’ve done our job. The Federation’s medical services are always in contact with the medical services of all the clubs,” he said.

“There’s very good communication, and they came to the conclusion that it was best for Marc to rest these days because it would be very good for him to recover from the discomfort he was having in his tibia, because he had periostitis, which is what the medical report sent to us by FC Barcelona said,” he concluded.

This comes at a time when even Hansi Flick has been cautious with Bernal’s reintegration back into the Barcelona first-team.

The youngster has made only three competitive appearances since returning, amassing a total of just 21 minutes of action.