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Four Barcelona youngsters join first-team training ahead of El Clasico vs Real Madrid

According to a report by Barca Universal on Friday October 23, 2026, Barcelona have called up four academy prospects to first-team training as Hansi Flick continues preparations for Sunday's El Clasico against Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou.

According to reports, Hamza Abdelkarim, Alex Campos, Orian Goren and Ebrima Tunkara participated in Friday's training session as Barcelona dealt with several injury concerns ahead of the crucial La Liga encounter.

Jules Kounde was absent as he continues to recover from an ankle injury, while Eric Garcia, Dani Olmo, Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji are also expected to miss the match.

Hamza Abdelkarim has already been involved with Barcelona's first team this season, although he featured for Barça Atlètic last weekend because of his limited playing time at senior level. He subsequently returned to the first-team setup ahead of the Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.

Alex Campos, meanwhile, was called up to the senior squad for the first time ahead of the trip to Paris. The young defender's continued involvement could provide Flick with another option as he searches for solutions to Barcelona's defensive problems.

The injury to Dani Olmo has also encouraged the coaching staff to assess Orian Goren and Ebrima Tunkara as potential options for the upcoming fixtures.

However, it remains unclear whether any of the four youngsters will make the final squad for Sunday's encounter against Real Madrid.

Flick's biggest concern remains the number of players unavailable through injury. Kounde is still working towards a possible return, while Garcia, Olmo, Christensen and Bardghji are reportedly ruled out.

There are also fitness concerns surrounding other members of the squad. Gerard Martin has only recently recovered from discomfort, while Rodri was not fully fit for the PSG encounter. Frenkie de Jong has returned from injury but has yet to feature since his comeback.

These issues could force Flick to make important adjustments to his starting lineup, with the four academy prospects potentially offering additional depth if required.

Despite the concerns, Barcelona have reasons to approach the Clasico with confidence. They reportedly hold a six-point advantage over Real Madrid in La Liga and have enjoyed an impressive run of results in the competition.

Nevertheless, facing their biggest rivals with several key players unavailable will present a significant test for Flick and his squad.

The German manager must decide whether to rely on his available senior players or give one of Barcelona's promising youngsters an opportunity to contribute on the biggest stage.

For Hamza Abdelkarim, Alex Campos, Orian Goren and Ebrima Tunkara, training with the first team represents an important opportunity to impress the manager ahead of one of the most anticipated matches of the season.

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