Marcus Rashford is thriving in the 'atmosphere' at Barcelona and adapting brilliantly to a fresh tactical approach following his summer loan switch from Manchester United, according to head coach Hansi Flick. The striker has made an impressive start to his career in Spain, netting six goals and providing nine assists across 16 appearances for the Spanish giants.
The England ace has been particularly lethal in the Champions League, scoring four times whilst contributing two assists in the competition. Rashford's homecoming arrives via European football, as Barcelona travel to west London for their clash with Chelsea. The 28-year-old's current situation represents a dramatic turnaround from events that began unfolding 12 months earlier, when the United academy graduate found himself unable to click with new boss Ruben Amorim, who has recently been left frustrated by United's 1-0 home defeat to 10-man Everton.
Rashford was quickly frozen out of matchday selections and seeking fresh pastures before securing his dream transfer to Barcelona.
Flick is convinced Barcelona have created the ideal environment and tactical framework for Rashford to flourish, in stark contrast to his former employers as he twisted the knife. The German tactician also confirmed Rashford has recovered from illness ahead of the Chelsea encounter.
"I'm very happy for Marcus," said Flick.
"He's back from a cold and he's fine; I'll decide tomorrow whether he starts or comes off the bench. But I'm happy to have him in the team, playing for Barca.
"I've followed him throughout his career and I've always been impressed by his quality and what he's capable of in the box, and he's showing that in Barcelona. This change for him, in a new style of football, in Barcelona, with the great weather.
"For me, it's incredible to see how he's always smiling. It's the atmosphere we have here, and it's very good for him."
Flick was also compelled to defend Barcelona's recent injuries, including those of Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde.
"I don't read much, but I have read about the injuries that have come out," added Flick.
"What I can say is that I'm not angry with our medical staff; we have a fantastic staff with a lot of experience. Regarding Raphinha, in this situation we've made mistakes, we all make them, but that's normal, it's human. Even so, we trust everyone on our staff. The rest is just noise.
"Step by step with Rafa. For me, the important thing is that he's back. We'll decide on the minutes and how much he'll play later. He's suffered an injury twice, and that's not good at this stage, so we'll be careful. I'm very happy he's back because, as soon as he played on Saturday, we saw the difference: his dynamism, he created space, and I'm very happy to have him back."