Head coach Hansi Flick says Marcus Rashford is thriving in Barcelona’s “atmosphere” and has adapted well to the new tactical approach following his summer loan move from Manchester United. The striker has made a great start to his career in Spain, scoring six goals and providing nine assists in 16 appearances for the Spanish giants.
The England ace was particularly lethal in the Champions League, scoring four goals and providing two assists in the competition. Rashford’s return arrives via European football as Barcelona travel to west London to take on Chelsea. The 28-year-old’s current situation represents a dramatic turnaround from events that began to unfold 12 months ago. The United academy graduate has not hit it off with new manager Ruben Amorim and is left frustrated by United’s recent 1-0 defeat at home to 10-man Everton.
Rashford was quickly dropped from match-day selection and was looking for pastures new before securing a dream move to Barcelona.
Flick believes Barcelona have created the ideal environment and tactical framework for Rashford to flourish, with him twisting the knife in stark contrast to his former employers. The German tactician also confirmed that Rashford had recovered from illness ahead of the game against Chelsea.
“I’m very happy for Marcus,” Frick said.
“He has come back from a cold, but he is fine. I will decide tomorrow whether he starts or comes off the bench. But I am happy that he is in the team and that he can play for Barça.”
“I have followed him throughout his career and have always been impressed with his quality and ability in the box, and he is showing that at Barcelona. He has made this change in Barcelona with the great weather and the new style of football.”
“For me, it’s incredible to see him smiling all the time. That’s the atmosphere here and it’s very good for him.”
Flick was also forced to defend Barcelona’s recent injuries to Rafinha, Lamine Yamal, Gabi and Alejandro Balde.
“I don’t read a lot, but I read about people being injured,” Flick added.
“What I can say is that I am not angry with the medical staff. We have a great staff with a lot of experience. As for Rafinha, we have made mistakes in this situation, we all make mistakes, but that is normal and that is human. Still, we trust all the staff. The rest is just noise.”
“We are taking it step by step with Rafa. The important thing for me is that he comes back. The minutes and how much he plays will be decided later. He has been injured twice, which is not good at this stage, so we will be careful. We played on Saturday and saw the difference right away, so I’m very happy to have him back. His dynamism, the creation of space, and I’m very happy to have him back.”
