Marcus Rashford: United loanee named in Barcelona squad for Chelsea game

Marcus Rashford has enjoyed a new lease of life since leaving Manchester United this summer to join Barcelona on a season-long loan.

The Englishman was deemed surplus to requirements by Ruben Amorim and initially joined Aston Villa on a temporary deal in January, before his move to the Camp Nou materialised in July.

The Red Devils, meanwhile, invested heavily in their attack this summer, signing Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.

Once considered the next big thing to emerge from Carrington, Rashford’s time with the Premier League giants hit a new low last season. However, he has gradually resurrected his career with the Catalans this campaign.

Rashford has registered six goals and nine assists in 16 appearances across all competitions this season for Barcelona, 13 of which have been starts.

Source: Transfermarkt

The 28 year old is now a key figure under Hansi Flick. However, Rashford missed the weekend’s 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao after coming down with flu.

The developments have raised questions about the Englishman’s involvement in Barcelona’s Champions League clash with Chelsea on Tuesday, 25 November, at Stamford Bridge.

The player shared a picture on social media on Sunday, suggesting he had rejoined training. A new report has now provided an update on the situation.

According to MARCA , Rashford has been included in Flick’s squad for the midweek European tie. The report adds that the player has already recovered from a bout of flu that kept him out of training ahead of the weekend’s game.

The Englishman reportedly trained with the first team on Sunday and Monday and has now been cleared to join the squad ahead of the trip to London.

The developments will please the decision-makers at United, even though Rashford is no longer part of INEOS’ future plans.

United will be hoping to offload Rashford permanently in 2026, and his recent performances will only strengthen their case. Given his academy status, the player’s departure can be recorded as pure profit in the books, which will benefit the Red Devils’ finances as well.

Recent reports have suggested that Chelsea are also eyeing the Englishman as an option, although it would be wise to take those rumours with a pinch of salt. As of now, a permanent stay at Barcelona remains the most likely outcome in the saga.

The Catalans reportedly have a €30 million purchase option in his loan deal, although Deco recently suggested that the LaLiga champions are not planning to exercise the option in January.

However, if the Englishman continues his stellar form at Camp Nou, a permanent stay could materialise at the end of the season.

Featured image Alex Caparros via Getty Images

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