Marcus Rashford is set to be in the Barcelona XI on Sunday afternoon, as the reigning La Liga champions head to Bernabeu to tackle Real Madrid in Spain's top flight.
The Catalan giants will be missing Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski through injury this weekend, making it almost certain that the on-loan Manchester United forward will be in the side.
Rashford has been in strong form for Barcelona this season, scoring five goals and registering six assists in 12 appearances, although he has only found the back of the net once in La Liga.
Indeed, the 27-year-old has saved his best performances for the Champions League, scoring four goals and registering two assists in three appearances in the competition.
Barcelona will have the option to sign Rashford on a permanent basis next summer for a approximately €30m (£26m), and a strong performance in El Clasico would sent out a clear message.
Rashford has expressed a desire to sign a permanent deal at Barcelona.
"For sure," Rashford told ESPN. "I'm enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it is an honour.
"People forget this, but 23 years of my life was with Manchester United. So sometimes you just need a change. I think maybe this is the case with me and I'm enjoying everything."
Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring for Barcelona on September 18, 2025
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: Rashford preparing for just his second-ever match against Los Blancos
Rashford has only faced Real Madrid on one previous occasion - in the UEFA Super Cup back in August 2017, with his Man United side suffering a 2-1 loss to Los Blancos in the one-off fixture.
The forward could come up against Dani Carvajal on Sunday, but it will otherwise be a completely new team for Real Madrid from when Rashford featured against them almost eight years ago.
Rashford featured off the bench at the interval, and he struggled to make his mark, but the Englishman is in strong form ahead of El Clasico, having scored twice against Olympiacos in the Champions League last time out.
The attacker featured through the middle against Olympiacos, and it will be very interesting to see what head coach Hansi Flick has in mind for this match, as he could keep his spot in that area or move to the left, with Ferran Torres instead playing as the centre-forward.
One thing is for certain, though, Rashford could convince Barcelona to sign him on a permanent basis off the back of a matchwinning performance against Real Madrid.
Rashford has scored 138 goals and registered 78 assists in 426 appearances for Man United, but it was clear that he needed a change during a difficult period of his career, and it has been a positive one.
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal feature image
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: Rashford bidding to overshadow Mbappe, Yamal in El Clasico
Much of the focus will be on Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal on Sunday, and that is not exactly a surprise, as they are two of the outstanding forward in world football.
Mbappe has been in excellent form this season, scoring 15 times and registering two assists in 12 appearances in all competitions, while Yamal has three goals and five assists in seven outings.
Rashford is actually Barcelona's joint-leading goalscorer this season on five goals (alongside Torres and Fermin Lopez), which is some turn-up for the books.
Injury problems for Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha have cost Barcelona goals this season, so Rashford has been absolutely vital considering that he has filled the gap, and for €30m (£26m), he is a bargain in his form.
These are the matches that Rashford would have dreamed of when he made the move to Camp Nou.
It has been feast or famine for Rashford during a transitional period of his career, but a strong 2025-26 campaign will surely see him feature in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup, and there is an excellent chance that he will be a permanent Barcelona player come the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
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