Barcelona name Hamza Abdelkarim in squad for Basel friendly

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has included Hamza Abdelkarim in his squad for the club’s pre-season friendly against Swiss side Basel, as preparations continue for the new La Liga campaign.

The match will be played in Switzerland as Barcelona build towards the start of the Spanish top flight. Abdelkarim’s inclusion is the main talking point from the squad announcement, with the forward listed among the attacking options for Flick’s side.

Barcelona will use the fixture as another opportunity to assess their squad before competitive action begins. Their next scheduled match after the Basel game will be against Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy on 19 August.

The Catalan club will then open their La Liga campaign against Elche on 23 August.

Flick has selected three goalkeepers for the trip, with Joan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny and Eder Aller named in the squad.

The defensive group includes Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martin, Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia. Alvaro Cortes, Xavi Espart and Jordi Bisquert also feature among the defenders.

Barcelona’s midfield options for the friendly are Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, Bryan Farinas and Oihan Goren.

The attacking list is made up of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Hamza Abdelkarim, Tonkara and Bissoua.

The Basel game forms part of Barcelona’s preparations for a season in which they will begin their domestic campaign with the visit to Elche. Before that La Liga opener, the meeting with Al Ahly at the Joan Gamper Trophy will provide another test for Flick’s team.

Abdelkarim’s presence gives him the chance to be involved alongside established Barcelona players including Yamal, Raphinha and Olmo. The squad also combines senior figures with younger players, including Bernal, Cubarsi and the other members of the club’s developmental group named for the fixture.

Barcelona’s full squad for the match against Basel is:

Goalkeepers: Joan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny, Eder Aller

Defenders: Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martin, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, Alvaro Cortes, Xavi Espart, Jordi Bisquert

Midfielders: Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, Bryan Farinas, Oihan Goren

Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Hamza Abdelkarim, Tonkara, Bissoua