Preston Cancels Friendly Against Barcelona
FC Barcelona will not play the second and final match of its preseason tour of England. The scheduled friendly against Preston North End was called off after the English club informed Barcelona that it did not have enough available players to fulfill the fixture.
According to Cadena SER, the Championship side attempted to find a last-minute solution, but the match ultimately could not go ahead.
Barcelona Rejected Changes to the Match Conditions
According to the report, Preston North End proposed completing its squad with several reserve-team players in order to play the behind-closed-doors friendly.
However, FC Barcelona declined that alternative, believing the circumstances no longer matched the conditions originally agreed upon by both clubs.
As a result, the English side decided to cancel the match.
Only One Match Played on the England Tour
With the cancellation, Hansi Flick's squad will conclude its preseason stay in England having played just one friendly.
Last Friday, Barcelona drew 2-2 against Birmingham City in an entertaining match that was eventually decided by a penalty shootout. The standout performer was Hamza Abdelkarim, whose brace helped the Blaugrana fight back after trailing for much of the contest.
Following the cancellation of the match against Preston North End, the squad will return to Barcelona earlier than planned to continue preparations for the start of the new season.
What's Next for Barcelona?
The Blaugrana's next test will come on August 8, when they take part in a preseason triangular tournament against Nottingham Forest and Udinese. Those matches will give Hansi Flick another opportunity to fine-tune his tactical ideas and continue shaping the team ahead of the competitive campaign.
After that, FC Barcelona will host Al Ahly in the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy before opening its LaLiga campaign on August 23 against Elche.
Although the England tour ended earlier than expected, the coaching staff will use the extra training days to continue integrating recently arrived players and refining the team's tactical approach before the new season officially begins.
