Barcelona teenager Ibra Tounkara is on the verge of becoming the club’s second-youngest player to feature in La Liga after being included in Hansi Flick’s squad for the match against Deportivo Alaves.
The 16-year-old has been called up as Barcelona continue to deal with several injury problems, with the German coach considering another promotion from the club’s famous La Masia academy.
Tounkara could make his first-team debut after spending part of the pre-season working with Flick and impressing the coaching staff with his performances in training.
His inclusion in the squad follows Dani Olmo’s absence, while the youngster has also participated in first-team training throughout the week in preparation for the Alaves encounter.
Flick has already indicated that he is pleased with what he has seen from the teenager and has not ruled out giving him an opportunity to feature.
Speaking about the young forward, the Barcelona manager said: “He participated with us during the preparation period, and I liked what I saw from him. He is with us and is performing well in training, and anything is possible.”
Tounkara targets place in Barcelona history
A possible appearance against Alaves would represent a significant milestone in Tounkara’s young career.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the teenager would become the second-youngest player to represent Barcelona in La Liga if he makes his debut at the age of 16 years and 235 days.
He would move ahead of Vicente Martinez, who made his Barcelona appearance at 16 years and 280 days in 1941.
However, Lamine Yamal would retain the record as the youngest player to feature for the Catalan club in the Spanish top flight. The Barcelona winger made his debut at just 15 years and 290 days in 2023.
Tounkara’s potential breakthrough comes after an injury disrupted the beginning of his season.
The youngster suffered an ankle ligament injury that prevented him from participating in the early stages of the campaign. However, he has since recovered, regained his fitness and returned to action with Barcelona Athletic.
His recent progress has now earned him an opportunity to be considered for the senior side, with Flick continuing to monitor his development.
Flick turns to La Masia amid Barcelona injury problems
Tounkara is not the only young player benefiting from Barcelona’s current injury situation, as Guilherme Victor has also been included in the squad for the meeting with Alaves.
The club’s shortage of available players has forced Flick to look towards the academy for additional options as he prepares his team for the upcoming fixtures.
Barcelona will be without Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, Xavi Espart and Andreas Christensen, while Dani Olmo is also unavailable.
The number of absentees has created opportunities for several academy prospects to train with the first team and potentially make their senior appearances.
For Flick, the situation has once again highlighted the importance of La Masia in providing young players capable of stepping into the first-team environment when required.
Tounkara offers Flick attacking flexibility
One of the qualities that has attracted attention from Barcelona’s coaching staff is Tounkara’s ability to operate in different attacking positions.
Although his primary role is as an attacking midfielder, the 16-year-old can also play on either wing, giving Flick additional options when selecting his attacking lineup.
His positional versatility could prove useful as Barcelona continue to manage their injury problems and look for solutions within the squad.
Tounkara is regarded as one of the promising young players emerging from the club’s academy, and a first-team appearance would represent an important stage in his development.
However, his potential involvement against Alaves would not necessarily mean an immediate regular place in Flick’s plans.
The teenager would still need time to adapt to the demands of senior football and continue developing his abilities.
Barcelona supporters will now be waiting to see whether Flick gives the youngster his opportunity, with Tounkara potentially on the verge of joining Yamal and other young academy graduates in the club’s history books.
