Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, has indicated that winger Marcus Rashford has a “significant opportunity” to showcase his talent with Raphinha sidelined due to injury as the team prepares to face Atletico Madrid in LaLiga this Saturday.
Raphinha, a Brazilian international, is expected to be unavailable until May due to a hamstring injury, which opens the door for Rashford’s potential involvement.
The England forward, who is currently on loan from Manchester United, had a strong start to the season but has seen his playing time limited in recent weeks.
“I’ve stated before that I’m pleased with Marcus. He has been performing well. Unfortunately, he had some issues recently, including an injury, and we need to manage that carefully,” Flick informed the media on Friday.
The German manager acknowledged that Rashford will still face competition from other players vying for Raphinha’s position.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for him to demonstrate his quality once again, but we have alternatives as well,” he added.
“Fermin (Lopez) can play in that role, and Gavi can step in too. I’m really pleased that Gavi is back to the level we’re seeing in training.”
Barcelona holds an option to purchase Rashford from Manchester United for €30 million, but they have yet to make a decision on whether to exercise that option.
Flick mentioned that he had granted Raphinha a few days off to visit Brazil with his family, hoping it would uplift his spirits following his injury incurred during a friendly against France last week.
Raphinha will miss several league matches along with the upcoming Champions League quarter-final clash against Atletico Madrid, with the first leg set for Wednesday.
“This injury comes at a particularly inconvenient time for both him and us, and he has understandably been upset about it,” Flick said.
“I had a FaceTime call with him; he was quite disappointed and down… So, I arranged for him to spend some time in Brazil with his family to help clear his mind.”
Flick confirmed that defenders Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, and Eric Garcia are fit to play against Atletico at the Metropolitano stadium, but midfielder Frenkie de Jong remains unavailable.
Barcelona will encounter Atletico three times within an eleven-day span, having previously faced them in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, where they experienced a loss against Diego Simeone’s side earlier this season.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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