Barcelona Fans to Await Rodri's Debut; Flick Also Discusses Striker Situation

Rodri, who recently joined from Manchester City, is expected to make his Barcelona debut on Thursday against Athletic Bilbao. “He is very focused and fully concentrated. We plan for him to travel with the team on Monday,” AFP quoted Flick as saying, adding: “That’s the plan. He’s a fantastic player, a leader, and a strong personality.”

The Catalan club paid around 80 million euros for the recent World Cup winner. However, following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, they are still searching for a striker. Flick did not elaborate on Sunday’s lineup but praised the form of Egyptian youngster Hamza Abdelkarim, who scored four goals in pre-season:

“He’s a center-forward, he’s young, has great potential, and he’s been scoring goals. That’s precisely what’s important for his position. And he’s done a great job.”

Among the new signings, wingers Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, as well as right-back Joao Cancelo, are expected to be available. “He’s ready to play. He has incredible technique and great enthusiasm,” Flick added regarding Cancelo.