Barcelona will continue their preparations for the 2026-27 season on Friday when they face Birmingham City in the first fixture of their pre-season training camp in England, with youngster Hamza Abdelkarim expected to be among the players given an opportunity by head coach Hansi Flick.
The friendly marks Barcelona’s first outing since arriving in England and forms part of an increasingly demanding pre-season programme as the Spanish club builds towards the start of the new La Liga campaign later this month.
According to reports, Flick intends to hand Abdelkarim several minutes against Birmingham City as he continues assessing his squad ahead of the competitive season.
The match follows Barcelona’s opening pre-season victory, a 4-1 win over Europa at the Joan Gamper Sports City.
During that encounter, goalkeepers Wojciech Szczęsny and Marc-André ter Stegen shared playing time, while new signing Karim Adeyemi did not make his first appearance for the club.
The Birmingham fixture represents the first stage of Barcelona’s training camp in England before further friendly matches over the coming weeks.
After Friday’s game, the Catalan side are scheduled to face Nottingham Forest on 8 August before taking part in a three-team pre-season tournament that also includes Italian club Udinese.
The series of fixtures is designed to prepare the squad for the start of the domestic season as Flick continues refining his team.
Alongside preparations on the pitch, Barcelona remain active in the transfer market.
Club officials are continuing work on strengthening the squad while also deciding the futures of several players during the summer transfer window.
Reports suggest that Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Casado and Ronnie Bardegji are among those whose futures remain uncertain despite continuing to train with the first team throughout pre-season.
Friday’s match is expected to provide Flick with another opportunity to evaluate several younger members of the squad.
According to the report, one of the coach’s objectives is to determine whether Geoffrey Torrents can establish himself as a full-back option.
The coaching staff also want to assess whether Espart has the qualities needed to serve as an alternative to Jules Koundé or provide cover during the absence of the injured Frenkie de Jong, with Brian Farinas also among the players under consideration.
Abdelkarim is another player expected to come under close observation.
The report states that the young attacker has attracted the attention of Barcelona’s sporting director, making the Birmingham friendly an important opportunity to evaluate his long-term potential.
The coaching staff are particularly interested in determining whether he can offer another attacking option within the squad.
His physical strength and apparent ability to score goals are viewed as qualities that could strengthen his case for further involvement with the first team.
The England training camp therefore serves not only as preparation for the new campaign but also as an opportunity for several emerging players to demonstrate their readiness for senior football.
Flick and his coaching staff hope the upcoming fixtures will leave Barcelona in the strongest possible condition before the opening weekend of the Spanish League season.
The club is scheduled to begin its league campaign against Elche on 23 August.
Before then, Barcelona are also expected to complete their pre-season programme by facing Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
That fixture is set to serve as the club’s final rehearsal before competitive football resumes.
For Abdelkarim, however, Friday’s meeting with Birmingham City could provide one of his biggest opportunities yet.
With Flick planning to give the youngster valuable playing time and continue assessing his attacking options, the friendly may offer an important indication of where the forward stands in Barcelona’s plans as preparations for the new season gather pace.
