Barcelona's LaLiga Opener: Rodri Out, Striker Search Continues
Hansi Flick will start his Barcelona reign without his biggest summer signing on the pitch.
The coach confirmed on Saturday that Rodri, brought in from Manchester City for a fee that could reach 76.5 million euros, will not feature in Sunday’s LaLiga opener away to Elche.
“He’s very concentrated, focused, our plan is that he will arrive on Monday with the team,” Flick told reporters. The idea is clear: integrate first, unleash later. The Spanish World Cup winner is being lined up instead for a potential debut in Barca’s second league game, against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.
Flick did not hide his excitement about the midfielder’s arrival. “He’s a fantastic player, a leader, and his personality is very great,” he said, underlining exactly why Barcelona moved so aggressively to reinforce the heart of their side.
Striker gap after Lewandowski and Torres exits
The middle of the pitch may be sorted, but the penalty area is not.
With Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres both gone, Barcelona’s squad is carrying a glaring vacancy at centre-forward. The club are still active in the market, searching for a striker before the window closes, and Flick kept his cards close to his chest when asked who would lead the line at the Martínez Valero.
He refused to reveal his starting No 9 for Elche, but one name is already forcing its way into the conversation.
Teenager Hamza makes his case
Hamza Abdelkarim has turned pre-season into his own audition tape.
The 18-year-old Egyptian forward hit four goals in friendlies and has clearly caught his coach’s eye.
“Hamza is having a really great pre-season,” Flick said. “He’s a No 9, he’s young, and he has a lot of potential, and also he scored goals. This is the important thing when you’re playing in this position, and he made a great job.”
Those are not throwaway compliments. In a squad suddenly light on out-and-out strikers, an in-form teenager with a nose for goal can quickly become more than a pre-season story.
False nines and fresh faces
If Flick opts against throwing Hamza straight into a league opener, he has other, more flexible options.
New signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, both natural wingers, can operate through the middle as false nines. So can Raphinha and Dani Olmo, giving Barcelona a fluid, interchangeable front line rather than a traditional target man.
It sets up an intriguing tactical choice for Flick’s first competitive match in charge: trust youth, lean on versatility, or push the club to move even faster in the transfer market.
Cancelo ready to go
One new arrival is already in line for minutes.
Joao Cancelo, signed this week to strengthen the flanks, is available to face Elche and has impressed his new coach immediately.
“He’s ready to play. He has unbelievable technique and a lot of passion,” Flick said.
Rodri must wait. Cancelo is good to go. The No 9 shirt, in practical terms if not literally, still feels up for grabs. How long that remains the case could shape Barcelona’s entire title defence.
