Barcelona have called up Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim to strengthen their youth side for Tuesday’s UEFA Youth League meeting with Aston Villa, as they look to improve their prospects of reaching the next round.
The 03 November 2026 fixture is the fourth in the league phase, and Barcelona’s squad will also include Ibrahima Tonkara. According to Spanish newspaper Sport, head coach Pol Planas has been given access to both players as the club seeks to field a stronger team for a match that could prove significant in its European campaign.
Barcelona have collected four points from a possible nine so far. Victory against Aston Villa would therefore provide an important boost to their qualification hopes and give them the opportunity to challenge for a place near the top of the league phase.
Finishing in the higher positions would also help Barcelona avoid the play-off round for a place in the last 16.
The Catalan side take some encouragement from their most recent European outing, an away match against Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital.
Tonkara’s inclusion follows his training session with Planas on Monday, despite the 16-year-old having recently worked with the first team under Hans-Dieter Flick.
However, Tonkara cannot play for Barcelona’s first team in the UEFA Champions League because he does not meet the requirements for inclusion on List B. Those rules require a player to have spent two consecutive years at the club since turning 15.
As Tonkara has not been named on List A and is 16, the UEFA Youth League remains the available European competition in which he can play.
Abdelkarim, meanwhile, did not complete Monday’s full team training. Barcelona have nevertheless selected him for the youth squad, opening the possibility of a first appearance in the competition.
The decision follows a period in which the Egyptian’s involvement with the senior side had been limited. Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha are now fully available to the professional team, reducing the immediate opportunities for Abdelkarim at that level.
Barcelona’s sporting department has consequently opted to give the forward a competitive opportunity with the youth side. The meeting with Aston Villa will offer Abdelkarim further experience while also testing the team’s technical and developmental progress.
The club’s immediate objective is to secure a result that strengthens its position in the race to progress from the UEFA Youth League league phase.
