Barcelona Axes Marcus Rashford Deal Following Shocking Disciplinary Violation
Marcus Rashford found himself benched for Barcelona's starting eleven during Sunday's victory against Getafe following his tardiness to a pre-game team meeting, according to emerging reports.
Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick maintains a strict no-tolerance approach regarding punctuality issues. Jules Koundé faced multiple benchings throughout the previous campaign due to timekeeping problems, while Raphinha similarly found himself demoted just a week prior for identical reasons.
Given Lamine Yamal's injury absence, an opportunity presented itself for Rashford to establish his position at Barcelona, and he had gained significant traction following his impressive two-goal performance against Newcastle United in the Champions League during midweek action. However, Mundo Deportivo initially disclosed that Flick had benched Rashford for Sunday's commanding 3–0 triumph over Getafe due to his late arrival at a team session.
Rashford began the match as a substitute but entered the game during the second period, where he provided the crucial pass for Dani Olmo's goal shortly past the hour mark.
This incident marks another occasion where Rashford faced consequences for poor punctuality. Back in December 2022, Erik ten Hag relegated the England forward to the substitutes' bench after he overslept and arrived late to a team gathering, with Rashford openly accepting responsibility for the situation.
On this occasion, however, Rashford is reportedly to have been delayed within the club's own premises. The winger is understood to have been completing a daily questionnaire required of all new acquisitions when Sunday's pre-match briefing commenced.
Flick, consistent with his handling of Raphinha's tardiness, chose not to publicly criticize Rashford following the match, instead suggesting the decision to substitute the 27-year-old represented standard squad management practices.
"It's typical for him not to feature in the starting lineup," Flick explained during his post-game media session. "Matches occur every three to four days. Managing his playing time is essential.
"You've witnessed this approach with Fermín [López]. He's accumulated substantial minutes, and we must consider this factor. Today we chose to withdraw Raphinha at the interval due to his yellow card situation, as we couldn't afford to lose him; that explained our reasoning.
"[Rashford] is capable of operating on the right flank, though he favors the left side, functioning as either an 11 or 9."
Rashford will be eager to reclaim his place in Barcelona's first team for Thursday's encounter at Real Oviedo, though he may encounter competition for his position. Raphinha contributed an assist while Dani Olmo both scored and created another opportunity, and Ferran Torres, Rashford's direct replacement on the left wing, found the net twice.
Yamal is also expected to make a brief cameo against Oviedo as he continues his recovery process toward full match fitness.