Barcelona Face Unusual Pre-Season Challenge After World Cup as Flick Signals Slow Start

Dragon Media News Desk

FC Barcelona are heading into the new season aiming for a third consecutive La Liga title, but an unusual post-World Cup pre-season, the late return of key players, injuries and continuing transfer activity have left Hansi Flick’s side facing significant early challenges.

Flick indicated after a three-team pre-season tournament involving Nottingham Forest and Udinese that Barcelona may need time before reaching full competitive rhythm.

According to the German coach, this year’s pre-season has been far from normal. Many of Barcelona’s leading players only recently began returning to club training after representing their national teams at the World Cup and taking their required recovery period.

Joan Garcia, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal were among the Barcelona players who represented World Cup winners Spain. Jules Kounde featured for France, while new signing Anthony Gordon represented England.

Raphinha played for Brazil and Frenkie de Jong represented the Netherlands. De Jong suffered a knee injury during the tournament and is expected to miss the opening phase of the new season, creating an additional challenge for Flick in midfield.

According to Barcelona’s official fixture schedule, the defending champions will begin their La Liga campaign away to Elche on August 23 before hosting Athletic Club four days later on August 27.

With several internationals returning late to training, Flick has suggested Barcelona may not reach full fitness and rhythm until around the first international break of the season.

That situation could provide early opportunities for rivals such as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal to gain ground if Barcelona struggle to collect points during the opening rounds.

The club is also undergoing a period of transition in terms of squad composition. Marcus Rashford and Joao Cancelo have completed their loan spells, while Robert Lewandowski’s contract expired at the end of June.

Defender Ronald Araujo has been linked with a possible move to Liverpool, while the future of midfielder Marc Casado also remains uncertain.

At the same time, Barcelona have added new attacking options. England international Anthony Gordon and Germany winger Karim Adeyemi have joined the first-team squad, while Hector Fort has returned following his loan spell at Elche.

Young players are also expected to receive opportunities during pre-season. Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim and winger Jesse Bisiwu are among the emerging talents considered part of Barcelona’s longer-term plans.

However, the club’s transfer business may not yet be complete.

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly shown interest in Ferran Torres, while Barcelona continue to view Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez as a potential long-term attacking target. Atletico, however, have shown little willingness to part with the Argentine striker.

De Jong’s injury has also increased Barcelona’s need for additional midfield depth. The club has been linked with Manchester City and Spain captain Rodri, whose experience, positional control and defensive qualities could significantly strengthen Flick’s midfield.

Many of these transfer possibilities, however, remain at the level of negotiations, interest or speculation rather than completed deals.

A major strength for Flick is that Barcelona continue to possess an exceptional generation of young talent.

Lamine Yamal, now 19, has become one of the central figures in the attack, while Cubarsi, Pedri, Dani Olmo and Eric Garcia have repeatedly demonstrated their quality at the highest level.

During his first two seasons in charge, Flick has also shown a willingness to trust players emerging from Barcelona’s youth system. Marc Bernal, Xavi Espart and other young prospects could therefore receive greater responsibility during the coming campaign.

Barcelona have recovered from difficult starts before. Last season, the team struggled to establish consistent momentum during the early stages before finding its rhythm from November onward and eventually securing a second consecutive La Liga title.

The circumstances this season, however, could prove more demanding.

Real Madrid, now under Jose Mourinho, have strengthened their squad and are unlikely to make the same number of costly mistakes as last season, while Atletico Madrid and other challengers are also expected to remain competitive in the title race.

Flick’s immediate task will therefore be to bring his returning internationals back to full match fitness, manage the absence of injured players and clarify the composition of his squad before the transfer window closes.

Barcelona do not lack talent after winning back-to-back La Liga championships. But in their pursuit of a third successive title, their first major opponents may be time, fitness and squad stability rather than the teams they face on the pitch.