The Egyptian striker had topped Barcelona's goalscoring charts during the pre-season, prompting the club to renew his contract until 2030. However, his situation changed with the launch of official competitions, as Flick did not grant him sufficient playing opportunities despite the injuries that hit the team's frontline.
The newspaper explained that the decision to return Hamza to the reserves came after internal discussions within the club regarding the necessity of him getting more playing minutes, noting that the player himself prefers to play regularly rather than settling for training with the first team and sitting on the bench.
According to the report, Flick preferred to postpone deciding the Egyptian striker's future until the attacking options available to him become clearer, especially after Barcelona failed to sign Argentine Julián Álvarez, and subsequently brought in Brazilian Gabriel Jesus.
Although Raphinha's injury seemed a suitable opportunity to give Abdel Karim a bigger role, the German coach relied on other options, including deploying Dani Olmo in the false nine position during the match against Galatasaray in Istanbul, rather than fielding the Egyptian striker.
Moreover, Raphinha's return from injury increased the competition in the frontline, prompting Flick to exclude Hamza from the squad to face Real Betis and return him to training with the reserve team under the leadership of Brazilian Juliano Belletti.
The newspaper "Sport" pointed out that Flick views Hamza as an additional option in the central striker position and appreciates his abilities inside the penalty box, but currently prefers to rely on other players in the attacking line.
For its part, the Catalan network "Esport 3" highlighted the paradox in the Egyptian player's situation, who moved directly from the youth team to the first team without yet playing any official match for Barcelona Atlètic, before finding himself forced to return to the reserve team in search of playing minutes.
Despite his dwindling chances with the first team, reports confirmed that the decision does not mean his permanent exclusion from Flick's plans, as the German coach can still recall him, especially during the early rounds of the Copa del Rey.
"Sport" newspaper believes that Hamza's participation with the reserves represents the best solution for all parties at the present time, as it gives the Egyptian striker the opportunity to play regularly, while Belletti's team gets an important attacking reinforcement.
