Barcelona have confirmed that 17-year-old midfielder Marc Bernal will miss most of the season after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament on Tuesday. 

Bernal, who made his Barca debut in their win over Valencia on the opening day, sustained the injury in the closing stages of their 2-1 victory against Rayo Vallecano. 

The midfielder had featured in all three of Hansi Flick's three league games in charge and had settled in well to his midfield having starred during pre-season. 

"It's a sad victory because Marc Bernal is injured," Flick told reporters after the victory at the Estadio de Vallecas. 

"We win, it's OK, but when you see the dressing room nobody is happy.

"It's not good. He made a fantastic match -- 17-years-old, such a performance. It hurts."

Bernal completed 148 of his 160 attempted passes, boasting a pass accuracy of 92.5% - the highest of anyone in the squad to play over 100 passes this season.

"He will undergo surgical treatment in the coming days," Barcelona confirmed in a statement on Wednesday. 

Barcelona will be hoping to maintain their winning start to the 2024-25 LaLiga season when they welcome Real Valladolid to the Nou Camp on Saturday.