Rodri fit, Baldé recalled: Flick confirms bold squad choices before Barça-Athletic

Hansi Flick made his decisions ahead of hosting Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou on Thursday evening in a rescheduled first-round Liga fixture. The German coach dropped three players from his squad and integrated several young talents, while confirming Rodri’s availability for the first time since his arrival.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, recruited for €60 million from Manchester City, is physically fit. However, a starting role alongside Pedri in Barcelona’s midfield appears premature for this first match.

Another notable return: Alejandro Baldé, who had been linked with a departure, is back in the Barcelona squad. The left-back had been sidelined on Sunday by Flick for lack of commitment, but he has apparently convinced his coach and is pushing for a starting place against the Basques.

Conversely, Marc Casado, Hector Fort and Alvaro Cortes are once again absent from the squad, as they were after the heavy victory at Elche (0-5). The midfielder and the two defenders are being encouraged to find a way out before the summer transfer window closes. They are numerically replaced by three young players: Eder Aller (19 years old), Brian Farinas (20 years old) and Hamza Abdelkarim (18 years old).

Flick is also dealing with several significant absences: Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji are all sidelined with knee injuries.

Probable line-ups

FC Barcelona: Joan Garcia — Koundé, Eric Garcia, Martin, Cancelo — Bernal, Pedri — Yamal, Fermin, Gordon — Raphinha

Athletic Bilbao: Simon — Areso, Yeray Alvarez, Paredes, Laporte — Gerenabarrena, Canales — Nico Williams, Sancet, Berenguer — Guruzeta