Barcelona have added Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim to their youth squad for Tuesday’s UEFA Youth League meeting with Aston Villa, as they look to strengthen their prospects of reaching the next stage of the competition.
The 3 November 2026 fixture is the fourth of the league phase. Barcelona have collected four points from a possible nine so far, making victory important in their bid to move into the qualifying places and challenge for a position among the leading teams.
Finishing high in the league phase would also help Barcelona avoid the play-off round for a place in the last 16. The Catalan side take confidence from their most recent European performance, an away match against Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital.
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Abdelkarim will not be the only addition to the squad managed by Pol Planas. Ibrahima Tounkara is also set to be involved, with Barcelona seeking to strengthen their side for a game that could prove significant in their European campaign.
Tounkara trained with Planas on Monday despite having recently worked with Hansi Flick’s first team. However, he cannot play for the senior side in the UEFA Champions League because he does not meet the eligibility requirements for List B registration.
Those rules require a player to have spent two consecutive years at the club since reaching the age of 15. Tounkara is 16 and was not included in Barcelona’s List A, leaving the UEFA Youth League as the available European competition in which he can feature.
Abdelkarim, meanwhile, did not complete Monday’s full team training session. Barcelona nevertheless decided to include him in the youth squad and could hand him his first appearance in the competition.
The decision follows a period in which the Egyptian’s opportunities with the first team have been limited. With Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha now fully available to the senior squad, the club’s sporting department opted to give Abdelkarim the chance to gain competitive experience against Aston Villa.
His involvement is intended to provide the forward with a different test while also supporting Barcelona’s efforts to secure a result that improves their position in the race to progress.
