Barcelona take on Athletic Club for Matchday 2 of the 2026-27 LaLiga season, with Rodri starting this match on the bench.
Rodri is on the bench, not in the starting lineup, as Barcelona host Athletic Club at the Camp Nou in their second match of the 2026-27 LaLiga season, with the Spanish midfielder still working his way up to full match fitness following his summer move to Catalonia.
The 29-year-old missed Barcelona‘s season opener against Elche entirely, a 5-0 win, after his move to the club was finalized following an extended post-World Cup vacation and rehabilitation from a minor back procedure.
With only a handful of training sessions under his belt at the time, head coach Hansi Flick opted to leave him out of the matchday squad completely rather than rush him back.
Since then, Rodri has trained normally with the rest of the squad, completing full sessions through the week, which has allowed Flick to include him among the substitutes for the visit of Athletic Club. The plan is for the former Manchester City midfielder to see some minutes in the second half, marking what would be his official Barcelona debut.
𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐔𝐏 🔵🔴 #BarçaAthletic pic.twitter.com/VrWIyNXY95— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 27, 2026
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