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Barcelona's Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim has strengthened his case for a place in the senior squad after scoring twice against Birmingham City during the club's preseason preparations.
The young striker, whom Barcelona brought in from Egyptian club Ahly during the winter transfer window, started the match and produced a performance that reportedly caught head coach Hansi Flick's attention.
Catalan sports newspaper Sport identified Hamza as one of the leading young players working under Flick during the training camp.
His appearance against Birmingham City followed another promising outing in Barcelona's 4-1 victory over Europa, suggesting that the coaching staff has continued to place its trust in him during preseason.
Against Birmingham, Abdelkarim led the attack as a central striker and stood out through his ability to hold up the ball, play with his back to goal and press opponents high up the pitch.
He converted a penalty that he had helped win, beating goalkeeper James Beadle, before scoring again after following up a rebound from teammate Roony's shot.
Abdelkarim also put in an aggressive performance without the ball. He committed three of Barcelona's six first-half fouls and received a yellow card, reflecting the high-energy approach expected from attacking players in Flick's system.
The Egyptian forward faces strong competition for playing time, particularly as Barcelona continues to look for an experienced striker during the summer transfer window.
However, his scoring form and work rate during preseason have sent a clear message to the coaching staff as he attempts to secure a place among Barcelona's senior attacking options.
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