Spanish media reports reveal that young star Marc Bernal is close to returning to participate with Barcelona, after being absent for a whole year due to a serious knee injury.

Bernal was injured during Barcelona's match against Rayo Vallecano in the third round of the Spanish league last season, where he suffered a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament and a meniscus injury, which required him to undergo surgery and kept him off the field for 12 months.

According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", the player has recovered positively and is undergoing a regular rehabilitation program, with significant support from the medical staff and the technical management, who refuse to rush his return despite the improvement in his condition.

The newspaper indicated that Bernal may receive the green light to participate in matches in the upcoming period, with September 14 set as a preliminary date for his official return against Valencia, and he may participate sooner if his condition improves.

The match between Barcelona and Italian Como in the Joan Gamper Cup was considered a good opportunity to test his readiness, but the decision on his participation will be made after evaluating the results of the recent medical examinations.

The match between Barcelona and Como is scheduled to take place next Sunday at Johan Cruyff Stadium at 10 PM Cairo time.