In Barcelona's star-studded lineup, there is a name that has been forgotten by fans for a year. He is the 18-year-old talented midfielder Mark Bernard.

After experiencing a year-long nightmare of severe cruciate ligament injury, this Lamacia's treasure will finally usher in his rebirth this month.

The beginning of a nightmare

Time goes back to the beginning of last season, and Bernard was the surprise soldier that coach Flick trusted the most. In all of Frick's first three games, he started amazingly. However, an unfortunate injury in the match against Vallecano brought his upward momentum to an abrupt end. A cruciate ligament tear is a word that can make all athletes look terrified.

In the past year, he has gone from a highly anticipated son of God to a long-term injury who is silently fighting against injuries in the gym and physiotherapy room.

The battle for wealthy families

European scouts never looked away from him even though Bernard was seriously injured.

According to Catalan media, just this summer, as many as seven clubs asked Barcelona about the possibility of signing him!

In the Premier League, the wealthy Chelsea, Everton and Brighton all expressed strong interest in him. In La Liga, Girona, Valencia and Real Betis also hope to get the genius on loan. Even Roma, who is in Serie A, joined this bottom-buying battle.

This is enough to prove how coveted Bernard's talent is. A serious injury could not hide his amazing talent. Of course, Barcelona and Bernard's own attitudes were extremely firm from beginning to end.

Hell-level competition

Bernal has obtained the team doctor's permission to play, and Frick will likely put him on the roster against Valencia. However, what awaits him will be Barcelona's hell-level midfield competition.

In the year when he was injured, Frankie DeJong, Mark Cassador and Garvey all played increasingly important roles in the midfield. It is easy to imagine how difficult it is for Bernard to regain his position.

However, fate also opened a window for him. De Jong and Garvey's accidental injury may win valuable playing time for Bernard in the coming weeks. For this genius who was reborn in the ashes, the return means the beginning of the battle.