Marcus Rashford has been absent from Barcelona's last two matches due to injury. Manager Hansi Flick has now shed light on his approach to managing the Manchester United loanee's condition.
Barcelona suffered a 2-1 away loss to Girona and prior to the setback, Flick discussed Rashford's situation. He stated: "Rashford is better, but he won't be in Girona. We'll take it step by step."
The club appear to be taking a measured approach with Rashford and this strategy may suggest his injury is more severe than initially thought. Their upcoming fixture is against Levante on Sunday, 22nd February.
Concerning Rashford's injury, a club statement issued ahead of their cup clash with Atletico Madrid stated: "The first team player Marcus Rashford has pain in his left knee after taking a blow in the game against Mallorca on Saturday at Spotify Camp Nou."
Spanish publication Sport reported earlier this season that the reigning La Liga champions are intent on securing Rashford's signature permanently when the campaign concludes. The report indicates that Flick and sporting director Deco believe finding another player of Rashford's calibre for £26m would be virtually impossible.
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Previous speculation had hinted they wished to broker a reduced fee, though circumstances now seem to have shifted. Nevertheless, the transfer is understood to hinge on one factor. Barcelona may withdraw from any agreement should Rashford sustain a lengthy injury lay-off. If this current setback proves significant, his anticipated transfer could be placed in doubt.
However, immediately following the cup fixture, the club's official website confirmed that Rashford is expected to return for the second leg, scheduled for Tuesday, 3rd March. The website's announcement stated: "If all goes well, three key players should be available for the second leg: Pedri, Raphinha and Rashford."
Notably, this statement explicitly referred to the Englishman as a "key player", reinforcing suggestions that the club intends to retain him beyond the current season.