During Barcelona’s Asian preseason tour, Marcus Rashford showed positive form and won recognition from the coaching staff. However, he has yet to complete his La Liga registration. If this issue remains unresolved before the transfer window closes, he will miss the entire first half of the season. Despite this, Rashford remains optimistic and focused on training.
Here’s analysis from camel.live:
As Barcelona concluded their Asian preseason tour and headed back home, the team brought back plenty of positive signs for the new season, with Rashford’s strong form undoubtedly among them.
The 27-year-old English forward featured in all three of Barcelona’s preseason friendlies, scoring his first goal since joining the club in the 5-0 thrashing of Daegu FC, which stood out as a highlight of the match.
In the first two games, Rashford came off the bench as a left winger. In this fixture, manager Hansi Flick tried him in the center forward role for the first time, still as a substitute. He responded to this experiment with a powerful shot, converting Eric García’s cross into a goal.
However, he did not celebrate excessively after scoring, understandable given the huge gap in strength between the teams. Similar restraint was seen in last Sunday’s 3-1 win over Vissel Kobe and last Thursday’s 7-3 victory against Seoul FC—where he also provided an assist for Ferran Torres.
Rashford’s performances were not sensational but solid enough to convince fans and Flick that he can contribute in the new season. For now, though, his role is likely to remain as a substitute.
With 11 days left until Barcelona’s La Liga opener on August 16 (local time), the three preseason games have offered clues about Flick’s preferred starting lineup.
Only four players have started all three matches: goalkeeper Joan García, full-back Balde, and attackers Raphinha and Yamal. Raphinha and Yamal are clearly Flick’s first choices on the flanks, while the real uncertainty lies in the competition for the center forward spot.
Although Rashford has been tried in the center forward role, Barcelona’s coaching staff currently favor Ferran Torres as Robert Lewandowski’s backup. Torres scored twice against Seoul before being rested for load management in the match against Daegu.
Thus, Rashford’s most realistic chance of playing time remains as a substitute for Raphinha at left winger. Flick’s coaching staff is currently planning his role this way, though they also acknowledge Rashford’s versatility to play multiple positions.
In terms of form, Rashford appears to have recovered well and is willing to compete for minutes in Barcelona’s star-studded attack. After the win over Seoul FC, he spoke confidently in the mixed zone: “How many goals can I score? A hundred! I just want to score as many as possible. I know moving to a new country and league brings different challenges, but I accept that. The training quality is very high, and the intensity is strong. There are many top players here—I knew that before I came. I can play in different positions and score from various areas; the key is to create threats. Hopefully, Barcelona can go further than last year and win the Champions League.”
It has been reported that Rashford is taking a cautious and careful approach to integrating into the dressing room, striving to build good relationships with every teammate.
Jules Koundé, who sat with him on the flight to Japan, said after the match: “He reminds me of myself when I first arrived—maybe a bit reserved at first, but that’s normal. He’s opening up more and more, and the teammates have welcomed him warmly. He’s happy, and you can see that smile on his face during games.”
On the pitch, Rashford has not rushed to show off individually but instead prefers to link up with teammates. For example, in the game against Vissel Kobe, he played 33 minutes and chose to combine with Lewandowski on several attacking chances rather than shoot himself; later, against Seoul FC, he tried similar combinations with Ferran Torres, who was playing as the No. 9 at the time.
A detail from the preseason caught the coaching staff’s attention: in the 64th minute against Kobe, after Barcelona lost possession in the attacking third, Kobe launched a counterattack. Rashford was initially far from the defensive area, but when he saw the opponent’s right-back preparing to surge forward, he immediately sprinted back and successfully assisted in defense inside his own penalty area.
This defensive awareness and fighting spirit are exactly what Flick’s coaching staff emphasizes as “non-negotiable standards,” and they are “satisfied” with his performance.
On the surface, everything is going smoothly, but a key issue remains unresolved: Rashford has not completed his La Liga registration. Without registration, he will be ineligible for any official matches. If registration is not finalized before the transfer window closes, he will have to wait until January to play
In addition to Rashford, Barcelona still needs to register several new signings, including Joan García, Baldegi, returning player Wojciech Szczęsny, and youth academy graduate Gerard Martín.
The most urgent registration is Joan García, as with Marc-André ter Stegen injured, only Iñaki Peña remains as a registered goalkeeper in the La Liga squad.
Regarding his registration issue, Rashford remained calm. After the match against Seoul, he responded: “I’m not worried; this is something the club will handle. I trust they’ll sort it out. I’m just focusing on training to make sure I’m ready when the season starts.”
