Marcus Rashford has taken to social media with a fresh update after finding himself relegated to the bench for Barcelona's final fixture before the Christmas. The 28-year-old, who has shone for Hansi Flick's side following his summer loan switch from Manchester United, watched from the sidelines as his team travelled to Villarreal on Sunday.
The tactical gamble proved fruitful for Flick and Barcelona, with Raphinha stepping into the starting XI and opening the scoring in a 2-0 victory at Estadio de la Ceramica. Lamine Yamal added the second goal as the Catalan giants re-established their four-point cushion at the summit of La Liga, following Real Madrid's triumph over Sevilla. The United loanee entered the fray in the 63rd minute, replacing Fermin Lopez, and while he spurned a golden opportunity to extend Barcelona's advantage, his cameo performance certainly turned heads.
Spanish publication Marca labelled him "dangerous", whilst AS noted that Rashford inflicted "damage" upon arrival, with particular praise reserved for his dribbling ability.
Taking to Instagram, Rashford has now shared an update with supporters as Barcelona enter a fortnight-long hiatus, with their return scheduled for Saturday, 3rd January against Espanyol.
Posting two snapshots of himself basking in winter sunshine, Rashford captioned: "GHOST TOWN [ghost emoji, sun emoji]."
Rashford has found himself on the bench for five of Barcelona's previous eight fixtures across all competitions. When questioned about how Rashford has handled reduced playing time, Flick revealed earlier this month: "I try to speak to every player when they are not selected.
"The last time I checked with him he replied me, 'Boss, you don't have to tell me about your decisions. The most important thing is the team. We have to win the three points. The rest is not that important.' This is the perfect mentality.
"I am so happy to have him. When he is on the bench, he shows that we have a good and deep squad. What I can say is that he is an absolutely professional player. In the beginning, he had to adapt a little bit, but now he is at his best level."
The forward has netted seven times and contributed 11 assists across 24 outings for Barcelona this campaign.
He has made quite the impression at Camp Nou, with Flick's outfit widely anticipated to convert his temporary spell into a permanent arrangement. Whilst there is a £26million purchase clause, reports suggest Barcelona will attempt to drive down the price when negotiations resume later in the season.
Barcelona and Rashford's next fixture sees them face fifth-placed Espanyol in La Liga on January 3.