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Barcelona will be without their marquee summer acquisition Rodri when they open their 2026–27 La Liga season on Sunday.
Hansi Flick was thrilled to secure the freshly crowned World Cup champion this summer, winning the midfielder's signature despite fierce competition from Real Madrid. Rodri signed a four-year deal with the Catalan club, making his return to Spain after seven years at Manchester City.
The transfer took longer than anticipated to finalize, leaving Rodri with little time to settle in at Barcelona ahead of this weekend's away fixture at Elche. The Spain international has not yet trained with his new teammates since completing the move, ruling him out of Sunday's match.
"I'm happy he's with us," Flick said of Rodri during his pre-match press conference on Saturday. "He's an outstanding player, a natural leader with a tremendous personality. Our plan is to have him join the squad on Monday."
In the meantime, Rodri has been training individually as he continues to recover from back surgery following the 2026 World Cup.
When Will Rodri Make His Barcelona Debut?
If Rodri does link up with the squad on Monday and suffers no injury complications, the midfielder could make his long-awaited Barcelona debut on Thursday, Aug. 27, against Athletic Club.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or recipient would get to make his first appearance in a Blaugrana jersey at Camp Nou, in front of supporters eager to welcome him home.
However, just three days of training may still be insufficient to throw Rodri straight into the action. Flick may opt to take a cautious approach and hold his prized new addition out until Monday, Aug. 31, when Barcelona are scheduled to host Rayo Vallecano.
That would be the final chance for Rodri to make his debut before a home crowd before Barcelona head away to face Valencia and Levante in the opening two weeks of September.
Flick: 'No Excuses' for World Cup Stars
Rodri is not the only Barcelona player who enjoyed a deep run at the 2026 World Cup. His Spanish teammates Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Pau Cubarsí, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Joan García, and Eric García also celebrated lifting the golden trophy with Spain on July 19.
Flick's Spanish contingent missed much of preseason, as did new arrival Anthony Gordon, who helped England claim third place at this summer's tournament. Ideally, the players would have had more time to rest and prepare before the campaign began, but that is the reality of football's demanding fixture schedule.
Aside from Rodri, all of the players mentioned above are available for Sunday's league opener, along with new signings João Cancelo and Karim Adeyemi, who are officially registered with La Liga. How significant their roles will be, however, remains to be seen.
"It's natural that those who played at the World Cup won't go the full 90 minutes," Flick said. "We have to manage it. It's not easy, but there are no excuses."
Even without their key players going the distance on Sunday, Barcelona should have little difficulty overcoming an Elche side that finished 15th in La Liga last season.