Hamza Abdelkarim books his place: surprise duo in Barcelona's squad for the Al-Ahly clash
Flick insists on adding two talents to the Joan Gamper squad: will they play two matches in one day?
Barcelona conclude their preparations for the new 2026-2027 season this Wednesday evening with a clash against Al-Ahli in the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Spotify Camp Nou, in a match that will also see the squad presented to the fans, despite the transfer file not having been definitively closed as yet.
Hansi Flick will appear alongside captain Raphinha in front of the Barcelona faithful to mark the start of the new season. Behind the scenes, the sporting management led by Deco keep working to complete the signing of a number 9, with other positions still in line for reinforcement before the window shuts.
Flick has named two players who each featured this morning in Barcelona Atlètic's friendly against Club Europa. The pair could therefore play twice in a single day.
Seven outfield players reach the final stage
A raft of Barcelona players are away with their national teams at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, which forced Flick to lean heavily on the La Masia academy throughout pre-season.
As the internationals filtered back one by one, the German coach began trimming the squad. He eventually settled on seven La Masia players in the group that will line up for the presentation against Al-Ahli.
According to the Catalan newspaper "Sport", the list includes Hamza Abdelkarim, Orian Guerin, Xavi Espart, Jordi Pisker, Álvaro Cortés, Bryan Fariñas and Ibrahima Toncara.
Toncara's inclusion stands out. He played a full hour this morning with Barcelona Atlètic against Club Europa at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, a match the Catalan side won by a single unanswered goal.
Whether Flick hands him another run-out against Al-Ahli or keeps him on the bench remains to be seen, given he has already logged almost a full match with the reserves on the same day.
Iker Rodríguez steals the spotlight
The eighth La Masia name on Flick's list is the young goalkeeper Iker Rodríguez, according to Gerard Romero.
Rodríguez rejoined the ranks of Barcelona Atlètic less than a week ago, then featured in the clash against Europa this morning. That makes his call-up to the Gamper Trophy all the more significant.
Clear interest surrounds the promising goalkeeper from both the technical staff and the sporting management. He is one of the options being weighed up to fill the third-choice role behind the first team, in competition with Eder Aller.
His presence against Al-Ahli matters, then, whether he gets minutes or stays on the bench. It feeds into the ongoing evaluation to decide who becomes Barcelona's third goalkeeper for the new season.
