Barcelona Begins LaLiga Title Defense Without Rodri

Barcelona will launch their LaLiga title defence on Sunday without their marquee summer signing in the middle of the pitch.

Coach Hansi Flick confirmed that Rodri, brought in from Manchester City for a fee that could climb to 76.5 million euros, will not feature in the opener away to Elche. The plan is to unleash him soon, just not yet.

“He’s very concentrated, focused, our plan is that he will arrive on Monday with the team,” Flick told reporters on Saturday. “This is the plan. He’s a fantastic player, a leader, and his personality is very great.”

If everything goes as Barcelona expect, Rodri’s first minutes could come on Thursday, when the champions face Athletic Bilbao in their second league match.

A rebuilt midfield, a missing No 9

Rodri’s arrival, fresh from winning the World Cup with Spain and dominating midfields in England, is designed to fortify the heart of Barça’s team. The fee underlines it: this is the cornerstone of Flick’s new era.

Up front, though, the picture is far less settled.

With Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres both gone, Barcelona enter the new campaign still searching for a striker in the transfer market. Flick kept his cards close to his chest when asked who would lead the line at the Martínez Valero, but he did not hold back when discussing one of the surprise names of pre-season.

Egyptian teenager Hamza Abdelkarim has forced his way into the conversation. The 18-year-old struck four goals in friendlies and has clearly caught his coach’s eye.

“Hamza is having a really great pre-season,” said Flick. “He’s a No 9, he’s young, and he has a lot of potential, and also he scored goals. This is the important thing when you’re playing in this position, and he made a great job.”

For a club scouring the market for a centre-forward, an in-house option suddenly looks intriguing.

Flexible front line

If Flick opts against throwing Hamza straight into the fire, he still has options to improvise a solution.

New signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, both natural wingers, are capable of operating through the middle as false nines. So too Raphinha and Dani Olmo, giving Barcelona a fluid, interchangeable front line rather than a classic target man.

That flexibility may define the early weeks of the season. Until a new striker walks through the door — or Hamza proves he can handle the role — Flick will lean on movement, pressing and rotation rather than a traditional focal point.

Cancelo ready to go

At the other end of the pitch, one new arrival is already cleared for action.

Joao Cancelo, signed this week to reinforce the full-back positions, is available to face Elche and could debut immediately.

“He’s ready to play. He has unbelievable technique and a lot of passion,” Flick added.

So Barcelona travel to the Martínez Valero with their new right-back primed, their new midfield general waiting in the wings, and their No 9 spot still up for grabs. How long can a champion go without a clear spearhead before it starts to show?