Player shortage forces Barcelona match cancellation, Flick’s camp

Five scheduled tune‑up matches have now been reduced to four after the Monday friendly against Preston North End was called off, a setback for head coach Hansi Flick as his FC Barcelona preseason in England hits a snag during the pre‑season.

The cancellation stemmed from Preston North End’s admission that they did not have enough fit first‑team players to field a side, prompting the club to inform the Spanish side of the shortage.

Hansi Flick, the German manager who recently signed a contract extension with the Spanish giant, has been overseeing Barcelona‘s preparations in the British Isles, where the camp was based.

Barcelona’s camp in England had planned two exhibition matches: a Friday draw with Birmingham City and a Monday fixture with Preston, the latter now scrapped.

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The match was to be played at St. George’s Park, the England national team training base, adding logistical weight to the cancellation.

Preston, a Championship side, is set to begin its competitive season in the Carabao Cup against Huddersfield Town on Saturday, and the coaching staff chose to protect their senior squad from injury risk.

The club offered to play the exhibition with its U‑21 roster, but Barcelona rejected the proposal and substituted the game with a standard training session.

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Consequently, Flick will accelerate the team’s return to Spain, where several international stars, including World Cup winners, are expected to join the squad before the La Liga campaign starts.

Barcelona’s next scheduled test is a triangular tournament on August 8 in Udine, Italy, featuring Udinese and Nottingham Forest, followed by the Joan Gamper Trophy against Al Ahly on August 19, and the league opener against Elche on August 23.