Ghanaian defender Hafiz Gariba has missed out on Barcelona’s pre-season training camp in England after illness prevented him from joining the club’s 30-man travelling squad.
The young centre-back had been selected to train with Hansi Flick’s senior team following an impressive 2025/26 campaign, marking another major step in his development at the Catalan giants.
However, according to reports from BarcaTimes, Gariba has been unable to participate in training over the past week due to illness, ruling him out of the squad that travelled to England for preparations ahead of the new season.
The 19-year-old joined Barcelona in 2025 from Spanish academy side Fundación Marcet and has since made significant progress through the club’s youth structure.
His performances last season earned recognition from the first-team technical staff, with Flick rewarding the promising defender with an opportunity to train alongside Barcelona’s senior players during pre-season.
Although the setback has delayed his involvement with the first team, Gariba remains highly rated within the club and is expected to return to action once he has fully recovered.
The Ghanaian defender is contracted to Barcelona until June 2027, and the club continues to view him as one of its exciting young defensive prospects as he aims to establish himself within the famous Blaugrana setup.
