Israeli Teenager Orian Goren Named to Barcelona Squad for El Clasico

Israeli midfielder Orian Goren, 17, has been named to Barcelona's squad for Sunday's El Clasico against Real Madrid, the 10th round fixture of Spain's La Liga. He is the first Israeli player to be included in a squad for one of the most prestigious and widely watched matches in world soccer.

His call-up is largely the result of an injury to Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo, who is expected to be out for several weeks. Even so, the selection signals the trust that Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has shown in the young Israeli. Flick has already given him several chances in preseason matches and brought him into first-team training sessions.

The German coach knows Goren well. The teenager took part in Barcelona's first-team preseason preparations, including the Joan Gamper Trophy match.

Spanish sports newspaper Marca drew attention to his progress on Saturday. It wrote that during those weeks Goren had the chance to train alongside first-team players, and that his inclusion in the squad is "another step in his development." The paper added that the midfielder trained on Friday and Saturday under Flick's guidance.

Marca also praised his work for Barca Atletic, the club's reserve team. "He has become a key player for Barça Atlètic, the club's reserve team, standing out for his consistency in the middle of the pitch. He is a regular starter," the newspaper wrote. It described a possible El Clasico call-up as a major opportunity for a 17-year-old, in a match every player dreams of taking part in.

Catalan sports newspaper Sport also ran an article on Sunday looking at how Goren won Flick over, adding to the growing attention around the Israeli prospect. The hope is that this milestone is only the start of a promising career.

His selection also brings to mind Gai Assulin, another Israeli who was part of Barcelona's senior squad. Assulin appeared for the Catalan club in the Copa del Rey but never played for Barcelona in a La Liga match.

Another youngster in the squad is Alex Campos, who has received his first league call-up after previously being named in the group for the match against Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona will meet Real Madrid without several injured players: Dani Olmo, Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji.