Rashford Ruled Out for Barça's Copa Trip to the Metropolitano
Barcelona's injury woes continue as Marcus Rashford is sidelined for the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Atlético Madrid, with Raphinha also missing out.
Barcelona hit by fresh injury concerns as they prepare for crucial Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at the Metropolitano.
Rashford Sidelined
In a proper blow to Barcelona’s attacking options, Marcus Rashford has been ruled out of Thursday’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Atlético Madrid. The English forward wasn’t spotted during Wednesday’s final training session before the squad travels to the Spanish capital.
The club released a statement confirming that Rashford “has discomfort in his left knee stemming from a knock received during the Mallorca match” and will miss the cup tie “as a precaution”. The summer signing has apparently been restricted to gym work all week, leaving Hansi Flick with a bit of a headache up front.
Brazilian Also Missing
Raphinha’s absence comes as less of a surprise to the Barça faithful. The Brazilian winger was already a doubt after missing Tuesday’s session with teammates. He’s been nursing a right abductor overload since February 2nd, with medical staff initially estimating a week on the sidelines.
That recovery timeline technically expired on Monday, but it seems the club’s medical team is taking no chances with the Brazilian international. All signs point to Raphinha targeting a return for Monday’s league fixture against high-flying Girona instead.
The former Leeds man has struggled with various niggles throughout the campaign, and Barcelona’s coaching and medical staff are clearly unwilling to risk aggravating his condition by rushing him back for the cup tie.
Selection Headache
These absences leave Flick with some serious thinking to do ahead of the trip to face Diego Simeone’s Atlético. The German gaffer will need to reshuffle his attacking options as Barcelona aim to secure a positive result in the first leg before the return fixture at the Spotify Camp Nou.
With the Catalan giants still competing on multiple fronts, managing the squad’s fitness could prove crucial to their trophy ambitions this season.