Hansi Flick explains why Rashford was taken off early in pre-season friendly
Marcus Rashford made his first appearance for Barcelona in their pre-season friendly against Vissel Kobe on Saturday. Barcelona thrashed Kobe 3-1 at the Misaki Park Stadium in Japan. Rashford came on in the second half, but spent just over half an hour on the pitch. He was subbed off in the 78th minute of the game, leaving fans scratching their heads. Following the win, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick explained the reason behind withdrawing Rashford. The head coach insisted that Rashford isn’t fit enough to stay on the pitch for longer.
“He’s a week behind the others. He hasn’t been training as much with the ball, and we want to look after him.” Flick said.
Marcus Rashford made a move to Barcelona after the Spanish Giants bought his services on a season-long loan deal from Manchester United. Once considered one of the bright stars in football, Rashford didn’t enjoy the past couple of seasons with Manchester United. His lean run led him to spend the latter half of the season on loan with Aston Villa. The 27-year-old would be hoping to turn his fortunes around ahead of a new season with Barcelona.
“Hansi Flick can make me play good football”- Marcus Rashford
Meanwhile, Rashford spoke highly of Flick and believes that he can bring the best out of him. The former Manchester United forward is willing to play at whatever position the team needs him to play. Marcus Rashford’s versatility to play both as a striker and a left winger has, in fact, helped him draw attention from Camp Nou and seal the deal.
“I believe Hansi Flick can make me play good football,” he explained. “I play where the team needs me and try to score goals and create them from those positions.
“Maybe I prefer the left side, but I can play in different positions. One of my strengths is being able to play in various positions.”
Due to renovation work at Camp Nou, Barcelona will be playing their first three La Liga fixtures away. They will kickstart their campaign with an away fixture against RCD Mallorca on the weekend of 17th August 2025. They will be facing Levante and Rayo Vallecano in their subsequent away fixtures.
