Barcelona teenager Hamza Abdelkarim awaits chance in Real Madrid derby

Barcelona’s teenage forward Hamza Abdelkarim is attracting attention in Egypt as he waits to discover whether he will feature against Real Madrid in Sunday’s El Clasico.

Barcelona host Real Madrid at Camp Nou at 23:00 on Sunday in the headline fixture of the 10th round of La Liga.

Spanish newspaper Sport described the match as one likely to be decided by fine margins and identified Abdelkarim as one of the most intriguing figures surrounding the game.

There is particular anticipation in Egypt over whether the 18-year-old will be included in the squad and, if the outcome has already been settled, whether he could be given minutes against Real Madrid.

Abdelkarim trained with Barcelona on Friday as preparations continued for the Clasico. The previous week, he played for Barcelona’s reserve team and scored a goal.

The forward has made two appearances for Barcelona’s first team so far, coming on as a substitute and playing a total of 12 minutes.

Sport also reported that Abdelkarim will wear boots designed by Nike featuring an Arabic message reflecting his excitement at facing Real Madrid in his first major match against the club: “Here the story begins”.

The newspaper said the phrase carries particular symbolism for a player who has made a strong entrance into Barcelona’s first team and wants to continue creating his own history at the club.

It also referred to other messages carrying the same purpose: overcoming the intense emotions of the Clasico and beginning a new chapter in Barcelona’s history.

Barcelona lead the La Liga standings with 27 points and a perfect record. Real Madrid are third on 21 points, while Atletico Madrid occupy second place with 22 points.