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With manager Manager Ernest Valverde giving extended breaks to all the players involved in the knockout stage of the World Cup, 13 players have been called up from the Barcelona B team to fill the voids left by the first team players in the preseason squad.
Out of the 13 from the reserve team, 9 are still in their teenage, with a potential first-team place up for grabs these youngsters will be on the lookout to impress Valverde.
Let's take a look at the 5 teenagers who might make the break into the first team:
#1 Juan Miranda
One of the stars of the U-17 Spanish team that finished runner-up to England in India, Juan Miranda Gonzalez was born on the 19th of January 2000 in Sevilla and started his footballing journey at the age of 8 at the Real Betis Academy. At the age of 14, Juan Miranda swapped the Real Betis Academy for Barcelona as he joined the FC Barcelona Youth team setup in 2014 after 6 years in the Beticos Academy.
2 years later the lad from Seville got promoted to the Barcelona Juvenil B team at the age of 16 and prompted again to the Juvenil A team the very next year only to see himself being promoted again to the Barcelona B team before reaching the age of 18 as Barcelona B officially signed him in January of 2018.
The Sevilla born player made 7 appearances for the Barcelona B after being signed up in January, debuting against Real Vallaloid and scoring his first senior goal against Granada on the 27th of January 2018, while also making 8 appearances for the Barcelona U-19 team that won the 2018 UEFA Youth League, beating Chelsea 3-0 in the final last season.
Juan Miranda is a left-footed player who normally plays as the left-back of the team but can also be slotted in as the Centre-back. The Left-back loves to get forward, link up play and works tirelessly, proving to be a great asset in attack as well as defence due to his tall figure. Miranda recently signed a new contract with the Catalonian club for 3 years with an optional 2 years extension with a release clause of a whopping 200million dollars.
#2 Monchu
Ramon Rodriguez Jimenez also called as Monchu was born on 13th September 1999 in Palma in Mallorca and started his footballing journey with RCD Mallorca before joining La Masia Academy in 2012 after 5 long years with Mallorca. The young Spaniard quickly progressed through the ranks of the Barcelona youth system since moving to the club in 2012.
He joined the Barca Juvenil B team in the 2015/16 season moving onto the Barca Juvenil A team in 2016/17 and finally making his first appearance for the reserves in a 1-3 loss to Cadiz CF on the 15th of December 2017. Recently signing his first professional contract with the Barcelona team this year, committing to a 3-year contract with an option to extend it to 2 more years.
Monchu made his first appearance for the Barcelona U19 team in the 2016/17 season making 7 appearances while the next season saw the central midfielder guiding the Barcelona Youth team to their second UEFA Youth League title, making 6 appearances and scoring a goal.
The Mallorcan also made his first ever start for the reserve side coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 away loss against Cadiz CF, making a total of 6 appearances and scoring 1 goal for the reserves side in the 2017/18 season.
A right foot player Monchu likes to get into areas close to the goal. Usually employed in the centre of the park, Monchu is a talented player capable of playing as a centre midfielder, attacking midfielder or as a defensive midfielder with an eye for goal.
#3 Alex Collado
Alex Collado was born on the 22nd of April 1999 in the Catalonian province and started his footballing journey in the Club Gimnàstic Mercantil before joining the Espanyol Academy.
The Spaniard then made the choice of swapping the Espanyol jersey with Catalonian rivals FC Barcelona one as Collado joined La Masia Academy in 2011 as a 12-year old. After progressing through the ranks of the youth system Collado made his senior debut on the 17th March 2018 in a 1-1 away draw against Lorca FC.
The rise of Alex Collado was a swift one moving from one age group to other of the Barcelona youth setup in successive seasons as he made his UEFA Youth League debut in 2016/17 season while representing the Barca Juvenil A team, making a total of 8 appearances for the Under 19 side.
The following season the young Catalonian made 10 appearances and scored 4 goals for the Under 19 side as the Blaugrana won the UEFA Youth League defeating Chelsea 3-0 in the final also making his debut and only game till date for the Barcelona B side.
Alex Collado is a naturally left-footed player midfielder blessed with excellent vision and an ability to read the game. Very skillful when attacking, Collado has the Barcelona DNA running through him and is capable of selecting the right option when passing. The Catalonian born attacking midfielder is usually deployed in the centre of the park but is also capable of playing through the wings.
#4 Riqui Puig
Riqui Puig was born on the 13th of August 1999 in Matadepera, Catalonia and started to his football journey in the famed La Masia Academy. The young Catalonian is one of the brightest prospects from Catalonia to come out of La Masia in recent times and is expected to be the next player in line from the academy to wear the famous jersey since Sergi Roberto.
The Barcelona DNA running through and through, the young Catalonian started the Blaugrana journey at the age of 14, from UFB Jabac Terrassa, moving up through the ranks of the Academy and making into the Barca Juvenil B team in the 2015/16 season moving onto the Barca Juvenil A team two years later in the 2017/18 season.
The 2017/18 season proved to the breakthrough season for the young Catalonian as he was drafted into the Barca Juvenil A team while also making his first professional debut on the 24th of February 2018 in a 1-1 home draw against Gimnastic de Tarragona.
The young Catalonian was a vital figure in the U19 side for the Blaugrana last season as they won the 2018 UEFA Youth League title beating Chelsea 3-0 in the final with Puig making a total of 10 appearances and scoring 3 goals for the U19 side.
Not the tallest of players, about 1.7m high, on the pitch Riqui Puig is an embodiment of the Barcelona philosophy, blessed with exceptional technique, intelligence and ability to quickly execute a pass makes him the prototype midfielder that the Blaugrana is known to churn out from its famed Academy. The baby-faced midfielder attributes, physique and style of play has seen him being compared to the former No8 and Barcelona great Andreas Iniesta.
Riqui Puig is one of those right-footed versatile midfielders who are capable of playing in the centre of the midfield, as a defensive lynchpin, as an attacking midfielder or as a False 9.
#5 Abel Ruiz
The youngest player and only the second player in the squad to be born in the 2000s, Abel Ruiz, was born on the 28th of January 2000 in Almusaffes, Valencia and started his footballing journey in the famed Valencia Academy before moving to La Masia in 2012.
The years that followed saw the young Valencian proving his mantle playing among the older age groups while racing through the ranks of the academy, first moving into the Barca Juvenil B team in 2015/16 season and then to the Barca Juvenil A team in the very next season and finally being drafted into the Barcelona B team for this season.
Ruiz made his first appearance for the Blaugrana B side, aged 17, on the 9th of April in 2017 in a 2-0 away win against CF Badalona in the Segunda B division and made his professional debut in August against CD Teneriffe in a 3-0 loss in the Segunda division while also making his UEFA U19 Youth League debut in the 2016/17 season scoring 2 goals in 7 appearances for the U19 side.
The year 2017 saw the 17-year old captaining the U17 Spain side to their record 9th U17 UEFA European Championship as well as guiding them to the final of the 2017 U17 FIFA World Cup, losing out 5-2 against England.
The Valencian born continued his impressive form making 26 appearances and scoring 3 goals in the Segunda Division for the reserve side in the 2017/18 season, as the B side was relegated to the Segunda B division, while also helping the U19 side win the 2018 UEFA Youth League making a total of 6 appearances, scoring and assisting a goal each.
Abel Ruiz is not the typical Barcelona player that comes out of the Academy. A boy who styles his game around the famous Dutch forward Marco Van Basten the 17-year old is a tall, strong, technically good player who loves to hold the ball well, play direct football and loves scoring goals just like the Dutch counterpart.
Ruiz recently signed a contract with the Blaugrana tieing the 17-year old till 2021 with an option of another additional 2 years along with a whopping 100 million euro release clause.
Ruiz is a naturally gifted right-footed player who is normally deployed as a Centre-forward but is capable of playing in either of the wings.
