Now or never, without Pedri and against Elche, he has to be a starter; it's the best moment.

After the defeat in El Clásico, Barça is already thinking about its next league match against Elche at Montjuïc. The match, scheduled for Sunday, presents itself as a necessary opportunity to heal the wounds of the culé environment. Hansi Flick knows that the team needs an immediate reaction to restore the confidence lost at Santiago Bernabéu.

In theory, Barça should beat Elche with relative ease, but the current circumstances call for the utmost caution. Injuries have struck the squad again at the worst moment of the season. Pedri's absence, one of the most painful, complicates the plans and forces a restructuring of the midfield.

Flick needs solutions after Pedri's injury

On Wednesday, the news of Pedri's injury hit the culé fans like a bucket of cold water. The Canary Islander has suffered a tear in his biceps femoris (bíceps femoral) and will be out of action until December. His absence leaves a huge creative void and represents another blow for Barça, which relies too much on his talent.

Without Pedri, Barça's play through the middle loses fluidity and vision, two essential qualities for dominating matches. That's why, against Elche, Flick will have to improvise with less common solutions. That's where a name is starting to gain momentum inside the locker room: Marc Bernal.

Marc Bernal has a golden opportunity against Elche

The young Barça academy player is fully recovered from the torn cruciate ligament he suffered last season and is ready to play. Hansi Flick has closely followed his recovery and believes that his profile can fit perfectly into the team's tactical setup. Against Elche, without Pedri and at Montjuïc, everything points to the great opportunity for Marc Bernal.

Marc Bernal offers a mix of strength, intelligence, and quality that can help Barça's midfield. His presence as a starter would serve to assess his competitive level after more than a year without regular playing time. In addition, the Montjuïc crowd is eagerly awaiting his presence on the field, as he has a huge future ahead of him.

The match against Elche should serve to show that Barça can win without relying solely on Pedri. It is also an opportunity to see Marc Bernal in action and evaluate his performance. If the result is positive, surely the absence of the Canary Islander will go more unnoticed.