Barcelona prepare for Elche with no recognised No.9 and Rodri sidelined

La Liga is almost here and FC Barcelona will open their title defence against Elche this weekend with a major reshuffle up front. Both Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres have left the club, and even if Barça were to sign a striker extremely fast, he would not be ready to start by then.

Hansi Flick has a big decision to make and signs are pointing toward Barcelona starting the season without an established No.9. Rumors have linked the Catalan club with many players, but none have signed. Even if one does arrive, it’s unlikely that two will.

Emerging options in preseason

One reason for the uncertainty could be Hamza Abdelkarim. The youngster has gained prominence in the squad and started almost all preseason matches in the center-forward position. He has yet to debut in official matches for Barcelona, but signs are pointing towards him getting a role in the first team squad.

Raphinha started at striker the only time Hamza did not. A winger by trade, Raphinha is nothing if not adaptable, capable of playing on either side or through the middle. He’s not played too much as a striker in his career, although he’s had some matches playing as part of a front two or as a second striker.

Anthony Gordon also got some minutes in the center-forward position during pre-season. He actually played 16 matches for Newcastle United last season, scoring 9 goals and adding one assist. He scored one of those goals against Barcelona in a 2-1 loss for Newcastle. He also played that position in two other UEFA Champions League matches against Barça: a 1-1 draw and an overwhelming 7-2 loss for the English club.

Karim Adeyemi has some experience in the position as well, though he has only featured on the wing for Barcelona so far. One in-house option that was used a little last season was Dani Olmo. Most memorably, he started the match against Atlético de Madrid last season in a 2-1 win in La Liga.

A couple youngsters from Barcelona Atlètic got minutes as a striker in preseason, too, Òscar Gistau and Shane Kluivert. They’re unlikely to feature much for the first team, at least at first.

Rodri to miss debut

The attacking uncertainty is compounded by the absence of new midfield signing Rodri. The 30-year-old was unveiled this week after leaving Manchester City and was registered for La Liga action, raising hopes of a Blaugrana debut against Elche.

During his pre-match press conference on Saturday, Hansi Flick confirmed the Ballon d’Or winner will not feature: “Rodri will train with the group from Monday. He won’t feature tomorrow against Elche. He did specific gym work and individual training today. We’re very happy with his signing.”

Barcelona will therefore begin their La Liga title defence against Elche with an improvised striker and without their marquee midfield addition, forcing Flick to rely on versatility and youth from the opening whistle.