Roony Bardghji’s first season at Barcelona has not followed the smooth path many expected.
The winger arrived with promise and excitement, but the reality of competing for places at a club like Barcelona is starting to show.
As the campaign moves into a crucial phase, his playing time has dropped sharply once again.
For what it is worth, this is not the first time he has found himself in this situation. Earlier in the season, there was a stretch where he barely featured, and now history seems to be repeating itself.
At this point in the campaign, he is no longer part of Hansi Flick’s main rotation, especially with the team entering a demanding run of fixtures in 2026.
Concerning numbers
So far this year, Barcelona have played 12 matches across competitions, but Bardghji has only appeared in five of them.
Those appearances add up to just 160 minutes, which is a small portion of the roughly 502 minutes he has accumulated all season. The recent trend has been even more concerning.
Roony Bardghji is going through a difficult phase. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
In the last six matches, the 20-year-old has only been given brief cameos. He played just over 10 minutes against Oviedo and Mallorca, and in the other games, he did not feature at all.
It is a difficult phase for the young winger, who is trying to establish himself in one of the most competitive squads in Europe.
A similar situation
Notably, a similar spell already occurred earlier in the season.
Between November 9 and December 2, he did not play a single minute across matches against Celta Vigo, Athletic Club, Chelsea, Alaves, and Atletico Madrid.
After that run, he was briefly reintegrated into the team, appearing in four consecutive matches and even starting two of them. However, his involvement has dropped again in recent weeks.
Part of the challenge lies in the competition for his position, as Bardghji operates in an area of the pitch currently dominated by Lamine Yamal, who has become one of the team’s most important attacking players.
Despite the lack of minutes, the Swedish international has not publicly complained about his situation.
In fact, his attitude has remained professional, and whenever Flick is asked about him, the coach continues to speak positively about his work and potential.