Barcelona's friendly against Preston North End cancelled

Barcelona have cancelled their scheduled friendly match against Preston North End, which was set to take place this coming Monday. The fixture was part of the Catalan side's pre-season preparations in England, but the match will no longer go ahead due to personnel issues within the Preston squad.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, the decision was made because Preston could not provide enough available first-team players for the match. While the English side suggested fielding an under-21 team instead, Barcelona refused the proposal and opted to scrap the game in favor of a standard training session.

Preston had their own considerations, as they face a cup tie against Huddersfield Town next week and were unwilling to risk any further squad unavailability. For Barcelona, the cancellation means they will adjust their schedule and bring their return to Spain forward.

Following the cancellation, manager Hansi Flick will shift focus back to the team's preparations for the upcoming campaign. Barcelona are now scheduled to participate in a triangular tournament on August 8, where they will face Udinese and Nottingham Forest in 45-minute matches against each side.