Bernardo is absolutely useless alongside Rodri, I said it a few months ago. He can no longer play in the midfield of Europe's top teams. He doesn't fit into the midfield of Bayern Munich, PSG, Arsenal, Barcelona, or even Chelsea and Real Madrid. Alongside Rodri, we need a true number 8 capable of finding vertical passes that break lines and, defensively, able to win the ball back from opposing players, quick and mobile enough to be present in rapid transitions, able to slice through our midfield like butter.
Unfortunately, Bernardo runs everywhere but without any real impact. Athletically, he's no match for today's modern football. It's no wonder we struggle no matter which four defenders we field. Our defense wasn't protected at all with Rodri and Bernardo, as we saw tonight and against Nottingham Forest. Opposing midfielders have a field day when we lose possession.
Therefore, it's impossible to play Rodri, Bernardo, and Cherki together; we'll be even more vulnerable.