Maximum caution – Barcelona starlet can only play 15-20 minutes vs Atletico Madrid

Maximum caution – Barcelona starlet can only play 15-20 minutes vs Atletico Madrid

FC Barcelona will lock horns with Atletico Madrid tomorrow in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Ahead of the contest, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick announced the squad list of players he will be taking along for the trip to Madrid.

Interestingly, teenage midfielder Marc Bernal has been included in the squad despite not receiving his medical clearance yet.

Bernal will at most play 15-20 minutes only

Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, if Bernal features in Tuesday’s match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, his involvement will be carefully managed and will not exceed 15-20 minutes.

The midfielder suffered a sprained left ankle during the La Liga clash against the same opposition earlier this month at the Metropolitano.

Bernal is travelling to Madrid. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

An initial recovery timeframe of around 10 days was indicated. That period will only be fully completed after the second leg, meaning he is still awaiting full medical clearance.

Even so, he has been named in the squad that is on its way to the Spanish capital. But Barcelona will approach his situation with maximum caution.

As such, if he is cleared to play against the Colchoneros tomorrow, his time on the pitch will not exceed more than 15-20 minutes.

This could be beneficial for Barcelona, considering that Frenkie de Jong, too, has only returned from an injury and might not be able to play the entire game at the Metropolitano.

Flick has other options, with Gavi being a candidate to feature prominently alongside Pedri in midfield. So, it will be interesting to see how the manager sets up his team tomorrow against Diego Simeone’s men.