Flick returns 3 talents to Barcelona's reserves: what is Hamza Abdelkarim's situation?
The Egyptian star awaits an opportunity
Barcelona held their final training session at the Joan Gamper Sports City on Saturday morning, preparing for tomorrow evening's clash with Elche in the opening of their La Liga campaign. Three players who had trained with Hansi Flick's first team in recent days were missing, after the club decided to send them down to Barcelona Atletic.
Jessy Bissiwi, Aurin Gorin and Ibrahima Tunkara all left first-team training. The trio join coach Juliano Belletti's side, who play a friendly against Vilanova on Sunday at seven in the evening.
Administrative issue holds up Bissiwi
Belgium's Jessy Bissiwi, 18, misses out because Barcelona have so far been unable to register him in La Liga. A bureaucratic problem with his visa is behind the delay.
The forward arrived from Club Brugge during the summer transfer window and will hold a licence with the reserve side. That gives him the chance to feature for Barcelona Atletic in the friendly against Vilanova, if the club decides to bring him on.
Tunkara and Gorin return to the reserves
Ibrahima Tunkara, the 16-year-old midfielder, had already joined Barcelona Atletic last Wednesday. He played in a closed morning friendly against Europa that ended in a 1-0 win for Barcelona, before returning in the evening to feature with the first team in the Joan Gamper Cup against Egypt's Al-Ahly.
Aurin Gorin, the 17-year-old midfielder, also drops back into the Barcelona Atletic ranks after training with the first team in recent weeks.
Both Gorin and Tunkara remain in the youth category.
Hamza keeps his place
Several players holding reserve-team licences continue to work under Flick and are expected to travel with the squad to Elche for the league opener.
That list includes Hamza Abdelkarim, Xavi Espart, Alvaro Cortes, Brian Farinas and Jordi Pisquer, alongside goalkeeper Eder Aller.
Abdelkarim wants his chance to make an official first-team debut after impressing during pre-season, particularly as the club have signed no new forwards following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
