Barcelona are hoping to have Marcus Rashford healthy for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Chelsea, after recovering from a bout of flu.
Rashford was sidelined for the weekend’s 4–0 win over Athletic Club in La Liga, the first game since joining the club on loan from Manchester United that he’s played no part in.
The England international had started 12 of the previous 13 matches in La Liga and the Champions League, having firmly forced his way into Hansi Flick’s strongest lineup.
Barcelona didn’t actually miss Rashford on their Camp Nou return, with replacement Ferran Torres scoring twice in the win. But it will be a boost to have him back to face Chelsea this week.
After missing two training sessions with the flu prior to the Athletic Club test, Rashford reported for practice on Sunday at the same time as the rest of his teammates, per SPORT. The plan is for him to have two days of training to rebuild his fitness and then be part of the group that flies to London on Monday afternoon ahead of the match the next day.
The question for Flick is whether he rewards Torres by keeping him in the team, or immediately restores Rashford. A lot is likely to depend on how match sharp the latter is.
Pedri Still Ruled Out
One player who won’t return from injury just yet is Pedri.
The influential midfield metronome hasn’t featured since the Clásico defeat against Real Madrid on Oct. 26 due to a hamstring problem. Rumors of a quick recovery and potential return after the November international proved to be wide of the mark, while Pedri, unlike Rashford, has not been involved in team training.
On the plus side for Barcelona, Frenkie de Jong should return to the lineup well rested, after missing the Athletic Club match because of a domestic suspension in La Liga.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Handed Major Fitness Boost Ahead of Chelsea Match.
