Barcelona’s Adeyemi era begins against Birmingham as Abdelkarim starts again

Barcelona will give Karim Adeyemi his first appearance for the club on Friday evening when they face Birmingham City in their second pre-season friendly at St Andrew’s, with Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim named in the starting XI for a second successive match.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has selected Adeyemi, the club’s summer signing, from the start against Birmingham, who are competing in the English second tier, the Championship, and hoping to earn promotion to the Premier League.

The fixture provides Adeyemi with his first opportunity to wear the Barcelona shirt in a match. His inclusion from the beginning is another indication of Flick’s confidence in the German winger and of the role he may play in Barcelona’s plans for the coming season.

With competitive fixtures approaching, the coaching staff will be looking for Adeyemi to demonstrate his attacking ability and begin building an understanding with his new team-mates. The friendly is also an opportunity for him to adapt quickly to Barcelona’s style and the demands of his new surroundings.

Abdelkarim, meanwhile, has again been trusted with a place in the first team. Flick’s decision to select the Egyptian youth player for a second match in a row underlines the importance the German coach appears to attach to him as part of Barcelona’s longer-term plans.

The forward will be aiming to produce another strong performance and strengthen his position within the senior squad. Competition for places in the attacking positions is intense, making the opportunity particularly significant for the young Egyptian.

Flick’s starting line-up is Wojciech Szczesny in goal, with Xavi Espart, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martin and Jofre forming the defence.

Marc Casado and Marc Bernal are selected in midfield, while Adeyemi, 16-year-old Ebrima Tunkara and Shane Kluivert are also included in the attacking group alongside Abdelkarim.

Barcelona’s substitutes include Ronald Araujo, Cortes, Raphinha, Fermin and Bisquer. The depth of options on the bench gives Flick the chance to make a large number of changes during the game as he continues to assess his squad before the new season begins.

The meeting with Birmingham is Barcelona’s second friendly of their preparations. The match will allow the club to continue building fitness and cohesion while giving several players, including Adeyemi and Abdelkarim, an important chance to establish themselves in Flick’s plans.