24-year-old forward will make his Barcelona debut against Birmingham City on Friday | OneFootball

Karim Adeyemi is set to make his first appearance for FC Barcelona on Friday, when Hansi Flick’s side face Birmingham City in their opening friendly of the England training camp.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Flick now considers the German winger ready to play after initially leaving him out of the 4-1 preseason win over CE Europa.

Adeyemi had completed only one full training session before the Europa match, having spent the previous days working mainly in the gym while his transfer and contract were being finalised.

Barcelona therefore chose not to rush him. The winger has now increased his workload at St. George’s Park and is expected to receive his first minutes in Blaugrana colours against the Championship side.

The session was also notable for the demanding physical work led by new fitness coach Benjamin Kugel. The German has replaced Julio Tous in the senior setup and arrives with extensive experience at club and international level, including his time with Germany’s national team alongside Flick.

Fermin Lopez, Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde all continued their respective recovery programmes on the grass. Balde has returned after pubalgia problems, while Fermin is entering the final stage of his rehabilitation from foot surgery.

Flick can begin testing his new attacking weapon

Adeyemi’s debut will be one of the most closely watched moments of Barcelona’s preseason. His speed and direct running offer Flick a different attacking profile, particularly against opponents who leave space behind their defence.

The first appearance should not be judged purely through goals or assists. What matters more is how quickly he understands Barca’s pressing structure, combines with teammates and chooses when to attack centrally or remain wide.

Flick already knows the player’s qualities well, but fitting them into Barcelona’s positional game will take time. Friday offers the first real opportunity to begin that process in match conditions.

For supporters, the excitement is obvious. Adeyemi has arrived with expectations, and his first minutes will provide an early glimpse of how he could add power, pace and unpredictability to an already talented forward line.