FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has addressed the striker situation ahead of the La Liga season opener against Elche following the departures of Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski. With both seasoned forwards leaving the club—Torres moving to Paris Saint-Germain and Lewandowski to other opportunities—Flick acknowledged the challenge of finding a reliable number nine. He remained coy about who will start but praised the young Egypt World Cup star Hamza Abdelkarim, who has shown great promise by scoring multiple preseason goals, including one against his former club Al-Ahly during the Joan Gamper Trophy.

Flick emphasized that despite losing nearly 30 La Liga goals combined from Torres and Lewandowski last season, the squad has added quality players who have elevated the team’s overall level. He highlighted the benefit of a refreshed dressing room and increased internal competition, which he believes will drive improvements and help the club contend for titles. The coach stressed the importance of starting the season strong with a win against Elche, underlining that competition for places is healthy and critical for team success.

Regarding new signings, Flick confirmed that recent acquisition Rodri would not be available for the upcoming match as he continues to train individually, with plans for him to join group sessions starting Monday. On the other hand, Joao Cancelo, another new addition, is considered fit and ready to contribute. Flick complimented Cancelo’s technical skills and offensive capabilities, recalling how the Portuguese player was instrumental in Barcelona’s La Liga triumph last season due to his positioning and attacking support.

The match between FC Barcelona and Elche is scheduled to begin at 21:30 local time in Spain on Sunday evening, marking the start of an important campaign for the Catalan club. Fans and analysts will be keen to see how Flick manages the strike position amid ongoing transfer pursuits, including interest in Julian Alvarez and others before the window closes. The upcoming fixture will serve as an early indicator of how well Barcelona can adapt to their new squad dynamics under Flick’s guidance.