Rodri included in Barcelona squad for Athletic Club game as Balde returns

Hamza Abdelkarim has been named in Barcelona’s squad for Thursday’s rearranged La Liga meeting with Athletic Club, while Rodri has been included for the first time since joining the club and Alejandro Balde returns to the group.

Athletic Club travel to Barcelona for a fixture that was postponed from the opening round of the Spanish league season. The match will be played on Thursday, with both sides preparing for a game that was delayed because of the involvement of players from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid in the World Cup.

Those fixtures were postponed to ensure the affected players were given a longer period of rest, in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Rodri’s inclusion is one of the main developments in Barcelona’s squad. The midfielder, who recently joined the club, appears in a matchday group for the first time.

Balde has also been recalled after being left out of the squad for Barcelona’s previous match against Elche. His omission from that game had come amid speculation that he could leave the club this summer.

There is no place for Pablo Gavi, however, after he suffered an injury during the match against Elche.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has also selected Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Anthony Gordon for the meeting with Athletic Club.

The full Barcelona squad is:

Goalkeepers: Joan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny, Eder Aller.

Defenders: Joao Cancelo, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, Xavi Espart, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martin, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia.

Midfielders: Fermin Lopez, Pedri, Rodri, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, Brian Farinas.

Forwards: Hamza Abdelkarim, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, Anthony Gordon.

Barcelona’s selection includes a mixture of established first-team players, returning options and recent additions. Balde’s return follows his absence against Elche, while Rodri’s presence marks his first involvement after moving to the Catalan club.

Hamza Abdelkarim is also part of the group for the rearranged fixture, alongside a forward line featuring Yamal, Raphinha, Adeyemi and Gordon.

The match forms part of the postponed schedule involving Spain’s leading clubs. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid had their matches moved because their players were committed to World Cup duty, with the postponements also designed to provide additional recovery time under competition rules.