Gabriel Jesus form threatens Hamza Abdulkarim’s Barcelona first-team ambitions

Hamza Abdulkarim’s hopes of earning a greater role in Barcelona’s first team have suffered a potential setback after Gabriel Jesus made an impressive start to life at the club.

The Brazilian forward has scored three goals in his first five appearances for Barcelona, despite starting only one of those matches. His sole start came against Getafe, when he continued his strong early run in front of goal.

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Gabriel Jesus needed just 123 minutes to score his three goals, giving him a rate of one goal every 41 minutes. He found the net against Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League, scored against Racing in La Liga and then added another goal against Getafe yesterday.

The timing of that form is particularly significant because Raphinha is currently out injured. His absence could have created an opportunity for Hamza Abdulkarim to demonstrate his ability and secure more involvement with the senior side.

Instead, Gabriel Jesus has taken advantage of the opening. He was selected from the start against Getafe and has strengthened his position as another attacking option for Hansi Flick.

The competition for places is not limited to the Brazilian forward. Raphinha had also made an exceptional start to the season before his injury, scoring 12 goals in La Liga at a rate of one every 46 minutes.

That leaves Hamza Abdulkarim facing a demanding battle for playing time, despite the encouraging signs he has produced in recent months. The Egyptian striker impressed during pre-season and finished as Barcelona’s leading scorer during the preparations.

He subsequently made his official first-team debut before scoring his first international goal for the Egypt senior national team.

Gabriel Jesus’ current form does not necessarily close the door on a larger role for Hamza Abdulkarim. However, it makes the task of convincing Flick to give him more opportunities considerably harder, particularly if the Brazilian maintains his exceptional scoring rate.

With Raphinha unavailable, the competition for attacking minutes has become more intense rather than less. Gabriel Jesus’ immediate impact has given Flick a productive alternative, while Hamza Abdulkarim must now build on his own promising progress to force his way further into the first-team picture.