Flick says Rodri to make Barcelona debut against Athletic | OneFootball

According to El Correo, Hansi Flick said the plan is for Rodri to get minutes against Athletic on Thursday, signalling a Barcelona debut for the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner that is unlikely to come from the start.

The midfielder has trained fully with the squad all week, including on Wednesday at the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper. It would be his first La Liga action since he joined Manchester City in 2019.

He had seemed set for Real Madrid, but a few weeks ago the move fell through and he instead signed for Barcelona. He is due to be named in a matchday squad for the first time and, barring a late twist, should get his first minutes in a midfield expected to define an era at the Catalan club.

Asked about combining Rodri with Pedri after a World Cup in which the Canary Islander struggled alongside him, Flick dismissed any issue, noting that Pedri has often featured for Barça with Marc Bernal, whom he views as similar in profile to Rodri.

Flick added that Rodri and Pedri can help Barça control matches like Sunday’s against Elche, when possession was surrendered too quickly early on. Pedri replaced Gavi in the first half after a knee knock that proved only a scare, and from there Barcelona regained control.

Flick will be without De Jong and Gavi, who remain in recovery.

Source: El Correo

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