Barcelona will kickoff their preseason tour in the early hours
Ernesto Valverde's men will start their US tour with a match against Tottenham Hotspur in the early hours of Sunday
The moment of truth has arrived. Barcelona's three new signings will take to the pitch for the first time. They'll come up against a tough, strong Tottenham Hotspur side managed by Mauricio Pochettino. Although you might need to set your alarm clocks to see it as the action begins at 5am Spanish time, 8PM local time in Los Angeles.
It's evident that that the conclusions drawn from the opening match shouldn't be definitive. In fact, completely the opposite. But it will give the new players a chance to show what they're capable of to a greater audience than they're used to.
Lenglet is most well known. People saw him perform for Sevilla where he shined both in LaLiga as well in Champions League, where he shut down Romelu Lukaku at Old Trafford as his former side progressed in the competition.
For Arthur it'll be a chance to build on those good performances in training. With his style, the Brazilian could be the person to take over from Xavi Hernandez, although there's obviously a huge way to go before the two can be compared in terms of quality.
In regards to Malcom, the unexpected new signing, he's another box to open. He's fast, a good dribbler and has an eye for goal. He has all the qualities you'd want in a winger and the expectations are high despite his young age.
Alongside the three new faces, there's another chance to look at the next generation of talent coming through the academy. Thirteen of them are in Los Angeles ready to show what they're capable of. They want to convince Valverde that they can step up if need be during the course of next season.
The defender Cuenca, fullback Miranda, midfielder Riqui Puig and striker Abel Ruiz are the most likely to break through this year and the tour will offer them a chance to prove that.
Although it won't be easy for Barça as their first opponents will present a genuine test to the team. Spurs started preseason ahead of Barcelona and the Spanish team will make do without the majority of their star players.
Tottenham brushed aside Roma, who knocked Barça out of the Champions League last season, 4-1 only a few days ago. They only needed 45 minutes to impose their superiority. Lucas Moura and Spaniard Fernando Llorente both grabbed braces.
It's true that Pochettino has more of his starters available to him than Barcelona. Christian Eriksen was involved against Roma, as was Heung-min Son. Davinson Sanchez, who starred alongside Yerry Mina at the World Cup, could start the match tonight as well. It'll prove to be a real test for Valverde and his young side.
