Rodri to Miss Barcelona's La Liga Opener Against Elche
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick confirmed that new signing Rodri will not play in the La Liga opener against Elche on Sunday. The former Manchester City midfielder is expected to join the team on Monday and may participate in the second match against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.
Flick described Rodri as a "fantastic player" and a leader. Barcelona signed Rodri for a fee that could rise to 76.5 million euros ($89 million) to strengthen their midfield following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
Flick did not disclose who would start as striker against Elche but praised 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim for his impressive pre-season, where he scored four goals in friendlies. New signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi can also play as false nines, alongside Raphinha and Dani Olmo.
Additionally, full-back Joao Cancelo, who was signed recently, is available for the match at the Martinez Valero stadium.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from Punch Newspapers. Read the original report below.
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