Barcelona cancel Preston friendly because of opposition absences

Barcelona have cancelled their scheduled friendly against Preston North End during their training camp in England after the Championship side were hit by a number of absences.

The situation would have forced Preston to field a large number of Under-21 players, leading Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick and his coaching staff to decide that the match should not go ahead.

The fixture had been intended to provide Barcelona with a demanding competitive test as part of their preparations for the new season. However, the absence of several key Preston players meant the game would not offer the level of opposition Barcelona had been seeking.

Barcelona will replace the cancelled match with a training session as Flick’s side looks to maintain its planned preparation programme. The club is also considering ending its England camp early and returning to Spain before the date originally set for their departure after the friendly.

The cancellation comes as Barcelona continue their build-up to the new campaign, with the club aiming to make a strong impression in both domestic and European competitions under Flick.

Barcelona’s second pre-season fixture was against Birmingham. That match finished 2-2 after 90 minutes, with Hamza Abdelkarim scoring both of Barcelona’s goals, before Birmingham won 3-2 on penalties.

The goals were a significant milestone for Abdelkarim, who scored for the first time for Barcelona’s first team after being promoted into the senior squad during pre-season.

Flick added Abdelkarim to his preparations after the forward returned from representing Egypt at the World Cup. His inclusion has given the Barcelona head coach another option as he assesses his squad before competitive football resumes.

Barcelona had opened their friendly schedule with a convincing 4-1 victory over Europa in a behind-closed-doors match. The game against Preston would have provided a further opportunity for Flick to examine his players in a more competitive setting, but Preston’s depleted squad prevented the fixture from taking place.

The club must now decide whether to remain in England for the rest of the planned camp or bring the arrangements to an early conclusion. For the immediate future, the replacement training session will allow Barcelona to continue their preparations while Flick works with the players available to him.

Sunday, 2 August 2026, 16:07