Barcelona's La Liga Squad Under Hansi Flick

Barcelona begin the Hansi Flick era on the road, opening their La Liga campaign with a potentially tricky trip to Elche – and the new coach has wasted no time putting his stamp on the squad list.

Flick’s first La Liga squad

Twenty-three players make the cut for Sunday’s clash, a group that blends marquee names, rising talents and one particularly eye-catching new arrival.

• Goalkeepers: Joan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny, Eder Aller
• Defenders: João Cancelo, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsí, Xavi Espart, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia
• Midfielders: Fermín López, Pedri, Rodri, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, Brian Fariñas
• Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, Anthony Gordon, Hamza Abdelkarim

The headline is clear: Rodri receives his first call-up and is expected to make his debut off the bench in the second half. Flick has moved quickly to integrate the new signing, and all eyes will be on how he fits into a midfield already built around Pedri’s craft and Fermín López’s energy.

Balde back, exits looming

Alejandro Balde returns to the squad after missing the previous match amid uncertainty over his future. His inclusion gives Flick a natural left-sided outlet again and another option in a back line that already features João Cancelo, Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen.

While one full-back comes back in, others are on their way out. Marc Casadó, Álvaro Cortés and Héctor Fort are left out of the squad as they finalize their departures from the club, a clear sign that the squad reshaping under Flick is already well under way.

Barcelona do travel with some notable absentees. Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji all miss out with knee injuries, stripping Flick of three high-level options in midfield and attack and forcing early-season improvisation.

How Barcelona could line up

Flick is expected to start in a 4-3-3, a shape that suits both the club’s traditions and his own attacking instincts. The predicted XI:

Joan; Eric, Cubarsí, Martín, Espart; Fermín, Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Raphinha, Adeyemi

It is a bold, youthful spine. Joan Garcia is tipped to start in goal ahead of Szczesny, with Eric Garcia and Pau Cubarsí at the heart of the defence and Gerard Martín plus Xavi Espart filling the full-back roles.

In midfield, Marc Bernal is set to anchor, freeing Fermín López to press and break lines while Pedri orchestrates. Up front, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are expected to flank new signing Karim Adeyemi, whose pace and direct running could define Barcelona’s threat in transition.

Kick-off times

The match kicks off at 9pm CET in Barcelona, 8pm BST/WAT in the UK and Nigeria, 3pm ET and 12pm PT in the USA, and 12.30am IST in India (Friday).

A new coach, a new season, a debut on the horizon – Elche away is more than just a curtain-raiser. It’s the first real glimpse of what Hansi Flick’s Barcelona might become.