Flick eyes Rodri-Bernal midfield axis as Barcelona blend present and future

Flick tests Rodri and Marc Bernal together in Barcelona's engine room

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is working to fit both summer signing Rodri and midfield starlet Marc Bernal into the same engine room setup. That's according to Diario Sport, who this weekend provided an insight into the latest developments behind the scenes in Catalunya's capital.

Rodri's return to La Liga last month was of course met with widespread positivity on the part of those of a Blaugrana persuasion, excited to have one of world football's very best amongst their side's ranks. For one member of Hansi Flick's squad, though, the signing was more bittersweet.

Amid his ongoing efforts to carve out a starting place in Barca's XI, Marc Bernal was forced to face up to being knocked down the midfield pecking order at the Spotify Camp Nou. The possibility of the 19-year-old and Rodri sharing the pitch on a consistent basis appeared unlikely, with the latter, for obvious reasons, favoured to take over starting duties.

As alluded to above, though, Hansi Flick and his coaching staff are already working on options to include the club's engine room stars of the present and future in the same team. As per a report from Diario Sport, the Barcelona coaching staff envision a midfield setup with Rodri at the base, and Bernal in a more advanced '8' role:

'The German coach is exploring the coexistence of Rodri and Bernal. While the forecasts suggested that the natural change would be Rodri for Bernal to rest the former City man, Flick is reversing the trend to see how they work together.'

The approach would allow Barcelona to field the engine-room stars of the present and future in the same side, rather than rotating one for the other, and represents a notable tactical experiment from the German coach as he looks to maximise his midfield options.