Hamza Abdelkarim handed Barcelona start against Al Ahly as new arrivals miss out

Hamza Abdelkarim will lead the Barcelona attack against former club Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy at Camp Nou on Wednesday, after manager Hansi Flick named a starting XI containing none of the club’s recent arrivals.

The young Egypt international joined Barcelona during the most recent winter transfer window and will face Al Ahly for the first time since leaving the Egyptian club.

Abdelkarim will operate as the central striker, with Lamine Yamal and newly appointed captain Raphinha playing either side of him in the front three.

The match will also mark Yamal’s first start in a pre-season game ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Flick has opted not to include any of Barcelona’s newly signed players from the start. Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Piesio are all absent from the opening line-up, while Rodri is unavailable after joining the Catalan club on Tuesday.

Barcelona’s confirmed XI is:

Goalkeeper: Joan Garcia

Defenders: Alejandro Balde, Gerard Martin, Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde

Midfielders: Xavi Espart, Marc Bernal, Fermin Lopez

Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Hamza Abdelkarim

The Joan Gamper Trophy fixture is Barcelona’s final listed preparation match before the start of their domestic campaign.

Barcelona are due to begin their La Liga season against Elche on Sunday in the second round of fixtures. Their opening match against Athletic Club was postponed, meaning the meeting with Elche will be their first league game of the new season.

Al Ahly are also scheduled to begin their Egyptian league campaign on Sunday, when they face ENPPI in the opening round.

The meeting at Camp Nou therefore provides Abdelkarim with an immediate opportunity to play against his former side, while Flick continues to assess his squad before competitive football begins.

Barcelona’s selection also gives Yamal a prominent role as the club build towards the new season, with the Spain forward starting alongside Raphinha and Abdelkarim.

Despite the presence of several new players in Flick’s squad, none has been selected from the outset for the friendly. Rodri’s arrival was confirmed only on Tuesday, leaving him out of consideration for the match against Al Ahly.

The Joan Gamper Trophy is being played at Barcelona’s Camp Nou, where Flick has named a side combining established first-team players with younger members of the squad.