From La Masia to the stands… What’s going on with Hamza Abdelkarim?

The Spanish newspaper *Sport* has highlighted the name of the young Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim as one of the standout stars of the Barcelona academy this season, amidst the anticipation and excitement that accompanied his arrival, particularly within Egyptian football circles.

The newspaper explained that the player caught the eye from the very first moment, not only because he is the first Egyptian to represent the Catalan club, but also because he is a classic ‘No. 9’ striker, a position rarely seen within the ‘La Masia’ system, which mostly relies on different attacking styles.

"Sport" added that Hamza has a strong physique, standing over 1.90 metres tall, and is regarded as a prolific striker with exceptional physical attributes. However, he needed time to settle in, given that his previous professional experience had been entirely in Egypt, where he had previously featured for Al Ahly’s first team and competed in the African Champions League.

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According to the report, the player went to great lengths to make his official debut in a Barcelona shirt, having to return to Egypt to finalise some formalities, which delayed his debut until 8 March, nearly two months after joining the club.

His official debut came in a second-tier youth league match against Huesca, where he quickly made his mark by winning a penalty and scoring a goal, in a match that Barcelona failed to win, but which marked a special moment in the player’s career.

Since that match, Hamza has featured in several games, though he has failed to maintain the same impressive level he showed in his debut. He started in the Copa del Rey youth semi-final in Lugo, before making his final appearance for 30 minutes in the defeat against Dam on 21 March.

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The newspaper noted that his absence from the recent match against Nastic raised some questions, particularly given that Ajay Tavares started for the first time in a match that saw a serious incident resulting in him being taken to hospital after colliding with the stadium wall.

However, *Sport* clarified that the Egyptian striker’s absence was due to a minor muscle injury, which prevented him from playing. The player also did not join his national team during the international break, but was spotted in the stands watching Barcelona B’s match against Sant Andreu.

The report confirmed that the injury does not appear to be serious and will not keep him out of action for long, but it did prevent him from featuring in the match which saw a dramatic victory for Barcelona, thanks to a late goal scored by Alex González in the 93rd minute, keeping the team in contention for the top spot in the Youth Premier League alongside Espanyol.

The newspaper concluded its report by noting that the length of the player’s absence remains unclear, though expectations suggest he could return within one to two weeks, provided his recovery progresses normally.

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