Barcelona experienced a worrying moment during their 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 when young midfielder Marc Bernal was forced to leave the pitch late in the match.
The teenager had started the game at St James’ Park and was making his fifth consecutive start across all competitions.
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It has been a demanding period for the academy graduate, who has quickly become part of the senior team rotation under manager Hansi Flick.
However, Bernal’s night came to an early end in the 73rd minute when he suddenly went down on the pitch.
What happened to Bernal?
The midfielder signalled to the bench that he could not continue, clearly showing discomfort as he lay on the turf.
The Barcelona medical team quickly rushed onto the field to assess the situation.
Club doctor Ricard Pruna and the staff helped the young midfielder off the pitch while he showed visible frustration at being unable to continue.
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Barcelona quickly introduced Marc Casado as his replacement as the Catalan side tried to maintain balance in midfield during the final stages of the match.
Fortunately for Barcelona supporters, the situation turned out to be less serious than initially feared.
After undergoing initial medical checks in the dressing room, club sources confirmed that Bernal had only suffered cramps caused by the intensity of the match.
Bernal confirms it
The midfielder himself later reassured reporters when leaving the stadium, confirming that the issue was not a major injury.
“All OK, just cramps,” he told journalist Nil Sola after the match.
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Although the injury scare ended positively, the match itself proved to be a difficult one for the young midfielder.
This is because Newcastle applied intense pressure early in the game, forcing Barcelona’s midfielders to spend long periods defending rather than controlling possession.
Bernal often had to track back and help the defensive line as the English side pushed forward with energy in front of their home crowd.