Marcus Rashford has returned to training with Barcelona after a short spell out with illness, giving Hansi Flick a much-needed boost ahead of their big Champions League showdown against Chelsea.
The English forward had been sidelined for a couple of days with a rough cold and fever, forcing him to miss both the last two training sessions and the 4ā0 win over Athletic Club at the newly reopened Spotify Camp Nou. His presence wasnāt missed much, as the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal took centre stage; even Eric Garcia put in an unforgettable shift, prompting praise from his manager, Hansi Flick.
But on Sunday morning, Rashford was back out on the grass at Ciutat Esportiva, taking part in Barcelonaās post-match recovery session on the Tito Vilanova pitch.
Softfootball understands that It wasnāt the most intense session, but his presence alone was encouraging. After sitting out the weekendās game, just seeing him moving again felt like a step in the right direction for the squad.
Barcelona posted video clips from the training ground via their official X account as they aim to be in perfect Shape ahead of the Chelsea encounter.
Watch the video below:
This weekās schedule is a bit tighter than usual. With the trip to Stamford Bridge only days away, Barcelona will train again on Monday at 12:00pm CET, sticking to their usual rhythm. Interestingly, theyāre not doing the common UEFA routine of training at the opponentās stadium the day before the match.
Instead, theyāll follow their own tradition: wrap up preparation at home, hop on the flight in the afternoon, and head straight to the team hotel once they land in London. Flick seems to prefer the familiar environment, and the players donāt appear bothered either.
Later on Monday, at around 7:45pm CET, Hansi Flick and Raphinha will speak to the media for the pre-match press conference. Naturally, Rashfordās condition will be one of the big talking points.
The club hasnāt given a full green light yet , theyāre still assessing how strong heāll be for midweek, but his involvement in Sundayās session suggests heās edging back toward match readiness.
If all goes well, Rashford could be in the squad for Chelsea. For Barcelona, who are trying to build rhythm under Flick, thatās very good news.
