Elche – FC Barcelona: Hansi Flick's squad features Hamza Abdelkarim but leaves out Rodri

23.08.26 15:30 LaLiga Spain

Elche

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Barcelona

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FC Barcelona begins their Liga title defense at Elche with a 23-man squad, notably missing their new midfielder, Rodri.

Just a day after Real Madrid snatched victory over Espanyol (2-1), FC Barcelona launches its own campaign. The reigning two-time Spanish champions head this Sunday to the Martínez Valero to take on Elche on Matchday 2 of La Liga. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. in Algeria, 9:30 p.m. local time in Spain.

Rodri must wait for his Barcelona debut

The squad list released by the club confirms Rodri's absence. The World Cup winner with Spain has been training individually following his late arrival and is expected to join full team sessions on Monday. Signed for €60 million on a contract running until June 2030, the midfielder will have to wait a bit longer before making his official debut in the Blaugrana shirt.

The full FC Barcelona squad: Joan García, Wojciech Szczęsny, Eder Aller, João Cancelo, Pau Cubarsí, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Jules Koundé, Eric García, Álvaro Cortés, Jordi Pesquer, Xavi Espart, Gavi, Fermín López, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, Brian Fariñas, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, Anthony Gordon, and Hamza Abdelkarim.

Two identical wins over Elche last season

Elche proved to be a favorable opponent for Barça during the 2025-2026 campaign. In the first fixture, the Catalans claimed a 3-1 home victory thanks to goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Marcus Rashford. The return leg at the Martínez Valero ended with the same 3-1 scoreline and the same Barcelona scorers. The Blaugrana recorded 30 shots, including eight on target, for a combined 6-2 aggregate across the two meetings.

This match officially counts as the second round, as Barça’s opener against Athletic Bilbao was postponed to Thursday, August 27. Hansi Flick is looking for a convincing start to immediately answer Real Madrid and set the tone for a third consecutive national title chase.

Also read: Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid: Carlos Espí saves Mourinho at the death

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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