Hamza Abdelkarim tops Barcelona's surprises against Aston Villa

A secret weapon for Barça

Barcelona have decided to call up the Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim to bolster their youth side for today's meeting with Aston Villa in the fourth round of the UEFA Youth League phase. It's a move designed to strengthen their chances of reaching the next round.

Hamza isn't the only boost for Pol Planas's side. According to Spanish newspaper "Sport", Ibrahima Toncara will also join the squad as the club prepare their standout prospects for a clash that could prove a turning point in their continental campaign.

Four points from a possible nine so far means a win over Aston Villa matters.

Three points would also let Barcelona fight to finish the league phase among the leaders and skip the knockout play-off for a place in the round of 16.

Confidence comes partly from their last European away trip, a strong showing against Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital.

Toncara joins the youth squad after training on Monday under Planas, despite his recent involvement in first-team sessions under Hansi Flick.

He cannot feature in the Champions League with the first team because he fails to meet the conditions for registration on List "B", which demand two consecutive years at the club since turning 15.

At 16, and with no place on List "A", the UEFA Youth League remains Toncara's only route into continental football.

Abdelkarim, meanwhile, did not complete group training on Monday, yet Barcelona added him to the youth squad with a view to handing him his first appearance in the competition. The call followed his limited role with the first team, where Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha are now fully available among the professionals.

The sporting management therefore preferred to give the Egyptian forward a fresh competitive challenge and more experience against Aston Villa. It's an important test both technically and in terms of development, arriving just as Barcelona chase a result to tighten their grip on the qualification race.