A big tactical call at full-back

Alejandro Balde has been left out of Barcelona's travelling squad for Sunday's La Liga opener against Elche, and the sidelined left-back now looks increasingly certain to leave the club before the transfer window slams shut. There is no injury behind the omission — it is a purely tactical decision from head coach Hansi Flick.

Reports before the announcement claimed Balde had decided to move on after fresh talks between the club and his representative, Jorge Mendes. Flick's squad call has now made it abundantly clear there is no place for Balde in his plans this season.

Marc Caso and Héctor Fort have also been omitted and are expected to follow Balde out of the door before the window closes. Manchester United, Aston Villa and Benfica have all been linked with the youngster in the last week as he looks for a new home for the 2026-27 campaign.

Notably, Jordi Pesquer has been named in the squad for the Elche clash, while João Cancelo gets the nod after completing his permanent transfer from Al-Hilal.