Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has confirmed that new signing Rodri will miss the club’s La Liga opener against Elche on Sunday, delaying the highly anticipated debut of the Spanish midfielder.

The former Manchester City star joined the Spanish champions in a deal that could rise to €76.5 million, with Barcelona hoping his experience and leadership will strengthen their midfield.

However, Flick revealed that Rodri’s first appearance will likely come in Barcelona’s second league match against Athletic Bilbao.

“He’s very concentrated, focused. Our plan is that he will arrive on Monday with the team,” Flick said.

“He’s a fantastic player, a leader, and his personality is very great.”

Barcelona will begin their title defence while still searching for a new striker following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Flick, however, praised teenage forward Hamza Abdelkarim after his impressive pre-season form, with the 18-year-old scoring four goals in friendly matches.

“Hamza is having a really great pre-season. He’s a number nine, he’s young and he has a lot of potential,” the coach said.

New arrivals Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi are also