Hamza Abdelkarim's Barcelona future remains up in the air, just as Brazilian coach Juliano Belletti has settled on his early options at centre-forward for the reserve side.
Belletti has been putting Barcelona Atlètic through pre-season for more than three weeks now, working to bed in his new faces, whether fresh signings or players stepping up from the under-19 side.
Three strikers have already had their chance in the number 9 role across the two friendlies against Tona and Girona B: Ignasi Coll (22), Oscar Gistau (18) and Nohou Fofana (18).
In the first match, Belletti started Coll in the first half and turned to Fofana after the break. Coll arrives from L'Hospitalet as a promising addition, having scored 20 goals last season in the fourth tier before signing a two-year deal. Fofana, meanwhile, extended his contract until 2030 after breaking into the reserves last term.
The third option is Gistau, a striker the club backs for the long haul, and he tucked away a penalty against Girona B. He began last season with Barcelona Atlètic before injuries stalled his progress, finishing the campaign with the youth team as he rediscovered his eye for goal. Expect him to be one of the side's sharpest weapons this season.
Hamza Abdelkarim's situation
The fourth and biggest name among the reserve strikers is Egypt's Hamza Abdelkarim (18). He originally signed to strengthen Barcelona Atlètic but started out with the youth team, and standout displays at the Under-20 World Cup earned him promotion into the first team's pre-season plans.
Barcelona sources, quoted by Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", say Hamza is still training with the first team under the watchful eye of Hansi Flick, who has already seen him find the net. No final call has been made on whether he stays with the seniors or returns to spearhead the Barcelona Atlètic attack.
Belletti faces a complete rebuild of his forward line this season after losing last term's top scorers. Joaquín Delgado has returned from his loan spell at Oviedo, while Víctor Barberà has joined Valladolid.