Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has revealed that Marcus Rashford is a major doubt for Saturday's La Liga contest with Athletic Bilbao due to an illness.
The England international, who is on loan at the Catalan club from Manchester United, has been in strong form this season, scoring six goals and registering nine assists in 16 appearances in all competitions.
The 28-year-old was again in line to start against Athletic at the newly-renovated Camp Nou on Saturday, but he has been unable to train for the last two days due to an illness, and Flick has conceded that the attacker is a major doubt.
“Marcus has a fever and hasn’t been able to train yesterday or today. I have doubts about him playing tomorrow," said the Barcelona head coach during his pre-match press conference.
Rashford has two goals and seven assists in 12 La Liga matches this term, and he has been vital for Barcelona this season, especially with Raphinha missing since the end of September through injury.
Barcelona's Raphinha on September 18, 2025
Barcelona vs. Athletic: Rashford set to miss out but Raphinha in line to return
Raphinha has been absent for Barcelona's last six La Liga games, but the Brazil international has finally been cleared to return to the squad for the clash with the Lions.
"The good news is that Raphinha is back, and I really appreciate what he brings to the team. We’ll see tomorrow, but the important thing is that he’s back. He’ll start on the bench, though," said Flick.
Frenkie de Jong is suspended for Saturday's game against Athletic, while Gavi, Pedri and Marc-Andre ter Stegen will again miss out through injury, but Lamine Yamal, Joan Garcia and Marc Casado are all set to be involved.
Yamal did not feature for Spain during the November international break due to a minor groin procedure, but the teenager is back in training and is set to be involved this weekend.
Lamine Yamal of Barcelona grabs the badge and points in celebration on November 9, 2025
Yamal expected to be available for Barcelona against Athletic
“He has been working very hard these past few weeks and I am very happy with what I have seen. That’s all I can say," said Flick. “There are ups and downs, but he has been handling the situation well.
“Lamine is our player. We care about our players. The national team also looks after them, and I think it was the right decision.
“He works hard, he’s very disciplined, and it’s a very important step for him to learn how to manage everything. He’s done very well.”
Yamal has scored six goals and registered six assists in 11 appearances for Barcelona during the 2025-26 campaign, including four goals and five assists in eight La Liga outings.
Barcelona would move level on points with leaders Real Madrid in the La Liga table if they manage to collect all three points against Athletic at the newly-renovated Camp Nou.
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