Barcelona Stars Return from Injury to Fuel Chelsea Showdown

Barcelona are optimistic about having Marcus Rashford fit and available for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Chelsea, following his recovery from illness.

Rashford was absent from the weekend's commanding 4–0 victory against Athletic Club in La Liga, marking the first fixture since his loan move from Manchester United where he didn't feature.

The England forward had been selected in 12 of the preceding 13 La Liga and Champions League encounters, having successfully established himself as a key component in Hansi Flick's preferred starting eleven.

Barcelona managed perfectly well without Rashford during their Camp Nou homecoming, as substitute Ferran Torres netted a brace in the triumph. However, having him available against Chelsea this week would provide a significant advantage.

Following his absence from two training sessions due to flu symptoms before the Athletic Club encounter, Rashford returned to practice on Sunday alongside his teammates, according to SPORT. The strategy involves giving him two training days to regain his conditioning before joining the squad traveling to London on Monday evening for Tuesday's fixture.

Flick faces the dilemma of whether to reward Torres by maintaining his place in the starting lineup, or immediately reinstating Rashford. The decision will likely hinge on the latter's match readiness.

Pedri Remains Sidelined

One player who remains unavailable due to injury is Pedri.

The creative midfielder has been absent since the Clásico loss to Real Madrid on Oct. 26 because of a hamstring injury. Speculation about a swift recovery and possible comeback following the November international break proved inaccurate, while Pedri, in contrast to Rashford, has not participated in group training sessions.

On a positive note for Barcelona, Frenkie de Jong is expected to return to the starting formation well-rested, having sat out the Athletic Club game due to a league suspension in La Liga.