Flick continues to call up 19-year-old Barcelona gem to training despite difficulty in breaking through | OneFootball

For months now, Tommy Marques has been training with the FC Barcelona first-team squad under the watchful eye of Hansi Flick without having made his debut.

The 19-year-old defensive midfielder has been the German head coach’s go-to man to fill the squad whenever there have been any absences in midfield.

Flick wants Tommy to be in the first-team dynamics

Now, even though the squad is near full-strength, Flick continues to call Tommy Marques to senior training sessions as was the case today ahead of the game against RCD Mallorca, reports journalist Guillem Boras Perez.

With the availability of practically the entire squad, barring Pedri, Gavi, and Raphinha, breaking into the team is seen as difficult for Marques.

Flick rates Tommy Marques highly. (Photo courtesy: Instagram/tommy.marques)

After all, the manager has Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal, Marc Casado, and Dani Olmo as options in midfield, while Eric Garcia can also fill in.

Despite the situation, Marques continues to be called up to train as Flick wants him to stay close with the first team and keep a close eye on his development.

While it does make things challenging for the teenager – having to train under the first-team coach and then going to play for the reserve team – he has adapted well so far.

Even though his first-team debut has yet to come, the La Masia graduate is waiting patiently, knowing that his opportunity will eventually come.