English Premier League
Ter Stegen and De Jong named in Barcelona squad for England training camp under Flick
Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Frenkie de Jong have both been included in Barcelona’s squad for a pre-season training camp in England, as new head coach Hansi Flick steps up preparations for the 2026-27 campaign – with Egyptian youngster Hamza Abdel Karim also travelling.
The squad flies to the United Kingdom on Monday for a camp at St George’s Park, the England national team’s base, running until 3 August. This is the second phase of Barca’s pre-season plan, following an intensive two-week block at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
Ter Stegen, whose future remains uncertain amid ongoing links with Ajax, has been selected despite that unresolved situation. De Jong is also included even though he is carrying a knee injury, with his presence seen as part of his rehabilitation and integration into Flick’s plans.
Recently signed forward Karim Adeyemi will be part of the group after taking part in his first training session with Barcelona on Friday. Brazil international Raphinha is expected to join up with the squad on Wednesday, partway through the camp.
Youngsters retain chance to impress Flick
Flick has opted to maintain his assessment period for a number of academy and young players who began pre-season with the first team, rather than making early cuts before travelling.
That group is headlined by Hamza Abdel Karim, the highly rated Egyptian prospect who will continue to work under the German coach in England. Flick is expected to delay his first major decisions on which youngsters to drop from the senior set-up for several more days, in order to give them further opportunities to impress in full training.
World Cup contingent handed extended rest
Barcelona will be without several key names at St George’s Park because of their involvement at the recent World Cup.
Spain’s world champions – Juan Garcia, Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Gavi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal – have all been granted extra time off and will not report back until mid-August, around 10 days before the start of competitive fixtures.
They are joined in receiving an extended break by Jules Kounde, who reached the semi-finals with France, and England’s Anthony Gordon. Other players who featured at the tournament but did not go as deep are scheduled to link up with the squad once their shorter rest periods have concluded.
Two friendlies lined up in England
During the camp, Barcelona will play two friendly matches on English soil.
Flick’s side face Birmingham City on Friday, before taking on Preston North End, from the English Championship, on Monday 3 August. The team will then return to Barcelona to complete their pre-season schedule ahead of the new campaign, in which the club is targeting a return to both domestic and European silverware.
The trip to England follows two weeks of intense work at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, which culminated in a 4-1 friendly win over CE Europa. That victory closed the first stage of pre-season and provided Flick with an initial look at his squad in match conditions.
Full Barcelona squad for England camp
The players travelling to the United Kingdom are:
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Szczesny, Jakubisvili, Inaki Rodriguez, Araujo, Hector Fort, Balde, Cortes, Xavi Espart, Christensen, Gerard Martin, Jofre, Besquer, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casado, Tomy, Brian Farinas, Lamine Diarra, Bernal, Fermin, Oriol Gorin, Guillem, Adeyemi, Hamza Abdel Karim, Oscar Gestau, Alejandro Fernandez, Rony, Elia Tuncara, Alex Gonzalez and Simone Kluivert.
