Confirmed: Flick makes first three pre-season cuts from Barcelona squad | OneFootball

FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has made his first three cuts of pre-season.

The German coach released Oscar Gistau, Ibrahim Diarra and Alex Gonzalez from first-team duties, with the trio returning to Barça Atletic dynamics.

All three youngsters are already training under Juliano Belletti on Friday at the club’s training camp in La Vall d’en Bas (Girona).

The trio had spent the past month working with the first team as part of a larger group of 17 academy players from Barça Atletic and the Under-19s.

First-team experience during the England tour

Gistau, Diarra and Alex Gonzalez all travelled with the senior squad to St George’s Park in England for Barcelona’s pre-season training camp.

Each of them also made their unofficial first-team debut during the friendly against Birmingham City.

Fresh from signing a new contract until 2028, striker Gistau played 28 minutes, while both Diarra and Gonzalez featured for 45 minutes apiece.

After four weeks working under Flick, the three youngsters have now linked up with Barça Atletic in La Vall d’en Bas.

They trained on Friday at the Royalverd Training Center and could feature on Saturday at 18:00 in the friendly against Girona B, the reserve side’s final match before returning to Barcelona.

Alex Gonzalez impressed in pre-season. (Photo courtesy: FC Barcelona official website)

All three are expected to play important roles under Belletti, who begins his second season in charge looking to guide Barça Atletic back to Primera RFEF.

14 academy players remain with the first team

While Gistau, Diarra and Gonzalez, who particularly impressed the coaching staff, have returned to the reserves, Flick will continue working with 14 academy players as preparations for the new season continue.

The group will travel this weekend to Udine for a pre-season triangular tournament featuring Udinese and Nottingham Forest.

Those still training with the first team are Tommy Marques, Shane Kluivert, Xavi Espart, Toni Fernandez, Jofre Torrents, Hamza Abdelkarim, Alvaro Cortes, Orian Goren, Ebrima Tunkara, Guille Fernandez, Brian Farinas, Jordi Pesquer, Aron Yaakobishvili and Iker Rodriguez.

Barcelona are now 16 days away from their La Liga opener against Elche 23 August, with Flick continuing to assess his squad ahead of the new campaign.