Balde, Casado and Hector Fort Left Out of Barcelona Squad for First Game of the Season Against Elche

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has left Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado and Hector Fort out of his squad for the club’s opening LaLiga fixture of the 2026/27 season against Elche.

The three players were not included in the travelling squad for Sunday’s meeting with Elche at the Martínez Valero Stadium, in a development that has further fuelled speculation over their futures at Barcelona.

Balde’s omission has attracted particular attention, with the left-back reportedly attracting interest from clubs outside Spain and increasingly being linked with a move away from the Catalan club before the transfer window closes.

Marc Casado and Hector Fort have also been left behind as Flick continues to reshape his squad ahead of the new campaign.

The trio were among several players whose futures had already become uncertain during the summer transfer window.

Flick had previously addressed questions about the situation of Balde, Fort and Casado ahead of the Elche game, saying the club had been clear with the players about the situation.

“It’s a club situation. We’re making a lot of changes. We have to wait until the end of the transfer window,” Flick said.

The German coach added that he had spoken with the players involved and that the club would continue to assess the situation before the transfer window closes.

### Balde's absence raises transfer questions

Balde’s exclusion is perhaps the most significant of the three.

The 22-year-old left-back has been linked with a possible move away from Barcelona, with Manchester United among the clubs reported to be monitoring his situation.

His omission from the squad is being interpreted as another indication that Barcelona could be open to his departure before the end of the summer transfer window.

Reports have suggested that Balde is considering his options after talks between his representatives and Barcelona.

However, the club has not publicly announced that the defender is leaving, meaning his future remains unresolved.

Balde has been an important player for Barcelona in recent seasons, but the club’s summer squad changes have created fresh competition and uncertainty around several positions.

### Casado and Fort also miss out

Marc Casado, who has previously featured regularly in Barcelona’s midfield, has also been excluded from the squad for the trip to Elche.

Hector Fort, meanwhile, has been left out despite being part of Barcelona’s wider first-team group during pre-season.

Both players have also been linked with possible moves before the transfer window shuts.

Their omissions come at a time when Barcelona are actively restructuring the squad, with several new players arriving during the summer.

### New faces included

While Balde, Casado and Fort are absent, Flick has included several of Barcelona’s new arrivals and young players in the squad.

Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim has been included after an impressive pre-season in which he emerged as one of the team's standout scorers.

The 18-year-old scored against Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy and finished pre-season as Barcelona's leading scorer.

João Cancelo is also available after completing his permanent return to Barcelona from Al-Hilal.

Other players included in the squad are Joan García, Wojciech Szczęsny, Gavi, Fermín López, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, Brian Fariñas, Pau Cubarsí, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Jules Koundé, Eric García, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

New signing Rodrigo Hernández, however, is not included after only recently returning to training with the group.

### Barcelona begin title defence

The match against Elche marks Barcelona's first official game of the 2026/27 campaign.

Hansi Flick's side enter the season as defending LaLiga champions after winning the title in each of the previous two seasons.

Barcelona will be looking to begin their title defence with a victory, although Flick has had to manage a squad affected by the late return of several players following the 2026 World Cup.

The club has also been active in the transfer market, bringing in players including Anthony Gordon, Rodrigo Hernández, João Cancelo and Karim Adeyemi.

With the transfer window still open, further changes to the squad are expected.

For Balde, Casado and Fort, their omission from the first league squad could therefore prove significant as Barcelona decide which players will form part of Flick's plans for the remainder of the season.

For now, the three players will watch Barcelona's opening league fixture from outside the travelling squad, while uncertainty continues over whether they will remain at the club after the transfer window closes.