In Barcelona's last match against Getafe, Marcus Rashford was left out of the starting lineup, with the reason being his lateness to training on the morning of the game.
Rashford's failure to adhere to the schedule led head coach Hansi Flick to uphold his consistent disciplinary policy: any player who is late for training or team meetings will be denied a spot in the starting eleven.
Disciplining players for lateness is not a new rule for Flick. Last season, Jules Koundé was left out of the starting lineup on a handful of occasions, including instances where he was punished for lateness. This situation occurred twice, during matches against Alavés and Rayo Vallecano. Flick has clearly stated: “It’s not difficult to be on time and do your job properly. This is not just about me personally; it’s more about respecting your teammates and every member of the club.”
Rashford's lateness this time is particularly surprising. After leaving the Premier League to join Barcelona, he was eager to prove himself anew here. Since Rashford's arrival, Flick has paid special attention to him—he explicitly requested the club's sports management to sign the English forward as early as the summer transfer window and has been hoping that Rashford can achieve success together with the team.
Manchester United is not surprised to learn that Rashford was disciplined for lateness, as concerns about his off-field behavior have persisted in recent years, and the club is well aware of the English forward's situation. Over two years ago, during United's trip to face Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rashford was also late for the match after drinking the night before. At that time, then-manager Erik ten Hag was angered by his actions but believed that freezing Rashford out of his plans would be harmful, so he only imposed disciplinary sanctions on him.
According to club insiders, Flick has high expectations for Rashford, and the latter seems to have gradually integrated into the team's system. The head coach is well aware that the forward needs confidence, so he has publicly spoken highly of Rashford on multiple occasions in press conferences. This strategy has also proven highly effective—Rashford scored twice in the Champions League match against Newcastle United and was named Man of the Match.
