Barcelona’s new signing Rodri will miss the club’s opening LaLiga fixture against Elche on Sunday, manager Hansi Flick has confirmed.

The Spain international, who recently joined Barcelona from Manchester City in a deal that could rise to €76.5 million ($89 million), is yet to make his competitive debut for the Catalan giants.

Flick said Rodri is expected to join the first-team squad for full training on Monday, raising the possibility that the midfielder could make his Barcelona debut against Athletic Bilbao in the club’s second league match on Thursday.

“He’s very concentrated, focused. Our plan is that he will arrive on Monday with the team,” Flick told reporters on Saturday.

The Barcelona coach described Rodri as a “fantastic player” and praised his leadership and personality, highlighting the importance of the midfielder to his plans for the new season.

Rodri’s absence means Barcelona will begin their title defence without one of their biggest summer additions. The champions are targeting a third consecutive LaLiga title under Flick and will face Elche at the Martínez Valero Stadium on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Flick confirmed that another new signing, João Cancelo, is available for the Elche encounter. He also praised 18-year-old forward Hamza Abdelkarim for his impressive pre-season form, with the youngster having scored four goals in friendly matches.

Barcelona will therefore have to wait a little longer to see Rodri in competitive action, with his potential debut against Athletic Bilbao now the focus of attention.