Gerard Martin, a Barcelona player, confirmed his coach Hans Flick’s expectations regarding his readiness for the upcoming Atletico Madrid match this Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, while the absence of his teammate Marc Bernal has been confirmed.
Martin raised concerns yesterday, Saturday, after being forced to leave the pitch at halftime in the Barcelona–Espanyol derby in La Liga.
However, the newspaper “Sport” confirmed today, Sunday, that he is not suffering from any injury, and that his substitution was merely a precautionary measure, while a calm mood prevails within the club regarding his physical condition.
During today’s recovery session, the full-back trained separately in the gym to reduce the load on his legs, which strengthened the likelihood of his normal participation against Atletico Madrid.
The plan is for him to join group training in the final session before traveling, so that he will be ready for the important match in which Barcelona need to overturn the result if they want to reach the Champions League semifinals.
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Flick had reassured Barça fans yesterday after the Espanyol match, expressing optimism about the player’s injury when he said, “I think it’s not a serious injury. I think he can play on Tuesday.”
If nothing unexpected happens at the last moment, all indications point to his readiness to start against Atletico Madrid.
Despite his inability to form a defensive partnership with Pau Cubarsi, who was sent off in the first leg, Martin is strongly tipped to appear in the starting lineup at center-back.
As for Marc Bernal, who was injured last week, he has not yet joined group training.
The club still hopes for his return after Tuesday’s match against Atletico Madrid, as there is no point in rushing his comeback or taking a risk with him before he is fully ready.
The plan is for him to return on Wednesday to begin preparations for the next league match, scheduled for the 22nd against Celta Vigo at the “Spotify Camp Nou.”