A significant portion of the Barça first team has yet to set foot on the Camp Nou pitch as a Barça player in an official match.
The sheer number of young players under Flick's command has led to this avalanche of debuts expected on Saturday, a matchday anticipated to be festive and full of surprises. However, the pressure to beat Athletic Bilbao is paramount to secure the top spot (Real Madrid plays on Sunday).
One of those eagerly awaiting his debut is Dani Olmo. A lifelong Barça fan, the Terrassa native 'emigrated' to Croatia and spent seven years away from his beloved club, playing in the Balkans and for RB Leipzig.
THE STARTING LINEUP
With Pedri and Frenkie de Jong unavailable, Olmo is expected to start in the double pivot alongside Marc Casadó. Flick has already tried him in that position (he did so at Balaídos due to Casadó's last-minute absence) and, barring any surprises, will repeat the approach against Athletic Club. He would likely play Fermín López as the attacking midfielder.
Olmo is in good form after scoring for Spain against Turkey and putting in a great performance. Interestingly, in all his debuts, Dani managed to create goals, scoring in his debut at Montjuïc against Valladolid and providing an assist in his debut at the Johan Cruyff Stadium against Valencia.
TOP NUMBERS AT HOME
Since joining Barça, he has accumulated eight goals and six assists in 22 home matches between Montjuïc and the Johan Cruyff Stadium. This statistic gains significance when considering the minutes played: 1,159 minutes at home for Barça, averaging a goal or assist every 82 minutes.
The open training session on November 7th was a very special moment for him, and Olmo is now eagerly awaiting his first official match. Just three days before traveling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Champions League, he wants to make a statement amidst the fierce competition in midfield.