17-year-old Barcelona midfield gem balancing B team duties with first team rhythm | OneFootball

FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has shown over the past couple of seasons that he places immense trust in La Masia. The German coach rates the club’s academy very highly, with good reason, given how well it has paid off so far.

One player who has gained prominence in the first team this season is 17-year-old Spaniard Dro Fernandez. Although still technically part of the Barca Atletic squad, he has played more than 100 minutes for the senior team and performed well.

According to SPORT, Dro returned to the reserves in Barcelona Atlètic’s recent derby match for the first time since the opening day on September 7. Since then, he has been fully integrated into the first-team setup.

On September 29, he made his first-team debut against Real Sociedad at Montjuic, playing the entire first half of the 2-1 victory. During the previous international break, Dro represented Spain’s Under-18 team, playing in three consecutive friendlies.

In the current international break, he again joined the U18 Spain squad for a training match against the U19s but returned early with other Barcelona players to rejoin Barcelona B.

In his recent appearance with Barca Atletic, Dro played 60 minutes and faced the challenge of finding space in midfield, a reflection of the attention he now receives as a recognized first-team talent.

Dro is expected to be the only Barca Atletic player to continue in first-team action. Toni and Jofre Torrents have returned to reserve-team duties, and when the senior squad is fit, the 17-year-old is expected to be the only outfield player named in the squad lists alongside third-choice goalkeeper Diego Kochen.

It remains to be seen how the teenager’s first-team arc evolves. It helps that Hansi Flick trusts him greatly, and we will have to wait and see how this development plays out.