Flick calls up former Real Madrid academy prospect to Barcelona first-team training

After a week full of rest, Barcelona are set to resume their La Liga campaign tomorrow as they take on local rivals Espanyol.

Heading into the game, Barcelona have notably trained without Eric Garcia, whose absence has been definitively confirmed. The former Man City defender won’t be taking part in tomorrow’s contest.

In addition to Garcia, Barça are also set to miss out on the services of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ferran Torres, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo.

Barcelona train with Marcos Parriego

In order to make up for the numbers, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick called up a player from Juvenil A, in the form of Marcos Parriego, reports SPORT.

Formerly of Rayo Vallecano, Parriego joined the Barcelona academy in the summer, as part of the club’s Under-19 setup.

Parriego was a sought-after prospect in the summer, with Real Madrid and Man City also interested in his services. But it was Barcelona who won the race at the end.

An attacking midfielder by trade, Parriego has made a strong impression in the youth department with his performances. The 18-year-old was previously a part of the Real Madrid youth setup.

Flick keeping a close eye

Barcelona’s decision to call up Parriego in first-team training is motivated by the fact that Hansi Flick wants to keep a close eye on the youngster’s progress.

It appears the German has been left impressed by Parriego’s performances and the potential is shown. As such, he is closely monitoring his progress at the youth level.

Flick has shown that he is not afraid to promote young players, as evident by the success of Marc Casado and Marc Bernal this season. Whether or not Marcos Parriego can follow suit, remains to be seen.