Barcelona youngster will do pre-season under Hansi Flick after season-long loan | OneFootball

Hector Fort left Barcelona on loan in the summer hopping to garner minutes and further his development at Elche, ultimately to force a return to Catalonia.

A shoulder injury derailed a big part of his loan stint, but the numbers he put up in the remaining period have shown enough promise for Barcelona to consider a return.

The hurdle for Hansi Flick, however, is that Xavi Espart has also shown promise as a backup right-back and there is no room for both players. 

Fort’s chance to impress

As relayed by Cadena SER in a recent report, Fort has not done enough to secure a place in Hansi Flick’s plans, but his performances have been enough to earn him an audition.

Hector Fort will be back under Flick’s command in the summer. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)

The young Spaniard, thus, will participate in Barcelona’s preseason ahead of the new campaign and a decision will only be made thereafter. 

Both Espart and Fort are thus likely to go directly head-to-head in a bid to impress Flick and earn a place in the first-team – something that will set up for an interesting high-stakes battle between the duo.

Fort’s loan spell

Hector Fort’s loan stint at Elche was not earth-shattering, but the player showed significant promise in the opportunities he was handed when fit and available.

Hector Fort is currently on loan at Elche. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

He was out from late December to late April and missed a significant part of the season. Yet, he racked up thirteen league appearances with seven starts and has two goals and two assists to his name.

He started and scored the team’s only goal in Elche’s recent clash against Real Betis. While he did not play a part in the subsequent game against Getafe, he could well play a part against Girona this weekend.