Barcelona began its preseason tour in Japan with a convincing victory over Vissel Kobe (1-3). Good feelings, rotations, opportunities for the young players, but there were also notable absences.
One of them, that of a young footballer, has caused a stir and concern in the Barça environment. The new coach, Hansi Flick, didn't hesitate to leave him out of the debut. It doesn't seem to be a coincidence.
Fort, the big absentee of the debut
While almost all first-team players got minutes against Vissel Kobe, Fort was the big exception. Not a single minute on the field.
The young right-back, who had been one of the promising names from the academy, stayed on the bench the entire match. Only Marc Bernal, injured, and goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, who's on his way out, also didn't play.
This detail isn't minor. Hansi Flick wanted to see all his footballers except for Fort, a silent but very clear message.
Punishment for arriving late
The lack of minutes has an explanation that goes beyond sporting performance. According to leaks from within the club, Fort arrived late on the first day of preseason, when the team's medical tests were scheduled.
A mistake that didn't sit well with the coaching staff. Flick, who's arrived with the intention of imposing order and professionalism from day one, didn't overlook that detail. The German believes that commitment is shown from the very first minute, and Fort paid for his lack of punctuality with an exemplary punishment: not playing a single minute.
Fierce competition for the right-back position
In addition to the disciplinary incident, Fort faces very tough competition. The right-back position is well covered, Jules Koundé starts as the first choice and Hansi Flick has already started to try Eric García as an alternative on that side. The coach values his tactical intelligence and his ability to adapt.
With that scenario, Fort remains the third option. His margin to stand out in the first team is minimal. If you add a disciplinary slip to that, his situation becomes even more complicated.
Loan on the horizon
The club is already starting to talk about a loan. The idea would be to find him a destination where he can get minutes and continuity. Barça doesn't want Fort to stagnate, but right now he doesn't have a place in Flick's immediate plans.
The player still has good potential, but he needs to play matches and learn to live with the demands of the highest level. A step back to gain momentum, perhaps. Right now, he's not at Barça's level.