Barcelona have revealed that Marcus Rashford will not be involved in Saturday's La Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao due to an illness, with the attacker not recovering in time.
Rashford missed training on Thursday and Friday due to a fever, and Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick admitted during his pre-match press conference that the on-loan Manchester United attacker was a major doubt for the contest with the Lions at the newly-renovated Camp Nou.
“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.
The Catalan outfit have now confirmed that the 28-year-old will miss out against Athletic.
MEDICAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Marcus Rashford will miss today’s match against Athletic Club due to flu pic.twitter.com/81nW7l67oZ
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 22, 2025
Barcelona confirm Rashford absence against Athletic
"Marcus Rashford will miss today’s match against Athletic Club due to flu," read a statement from the La Liga champions.
The England international has been in strong form for Barcelona during the 2025-26 campaign, scoring six goals and registering nine assists in 16 appearances in all competitions.
Flick's side have the option to sign Rashford on a permanent basis next summer for a fee in the region of £30m, and that transfer is expected to take place.
Rashford has a record of 138 goals and 78 assists in 426 appearances for Man United, but the attacker is not expected to represent the Red Devils again, as his relationship with the club's head coach Ruben Amorim has completely broken down.
Barcelona's Marcus Rashford on October 21, 2025
Will Rashford return against Chelsea?
Rashford was believed to be close to being involved against Athletic, but the decision was made to leave the attacker out due to his absence from training.
Barcelona will return to Champions League action against Chelsea on November 25, and the expectation is that the forward will be available for selection against the Blues.
Rashford has scored five goals and registered three assists in 21 appearances against Chelsea in all competitions, and he is in line to face the Blues in the Champions League next week.
The forward has been in impressive form in Europe this season, netting four goals and registering two assists in four appearances in the European Cup.
Barcelona would move level on points with leaders Real Madrid in the La Liga table if they manage to overcome Athletic in Saturday afternoon's clash at Camp Nou.
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