Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford has made a significant change following disciplinary action from Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick. Earlier this season, the England forward was sanctioned for being two minutes late to a squad meeting, resulting in him being relegated to the substitutes' bench for their La Liga encounter with Getafe.
Although reports suggested his security pass had failed, he was excluded from the starting line-up. Flick had ordered players to attend a 9:30am meeting on match day, followed by an 'activation session' at 11am. However, sources close to Rashford confirmed he did not appear until 9:32am, compelling Flick to apply his rigid timekeeping policy.
The German manager is renowned for his uncompromising stance on lateness, with players routinely omitted for turning up even a minute or two late.
On that occasion, Flick selected instead a forward trio of Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Raphinha, with them proceeding to secure a 3-0 victory at the Nou Camp.
Rashford has taken steps to ensure this will not happen again and now turns up 30 minutes early, according to the Daily Mail.
The forward has adapted well in Spain following a troubled period under former United manager Ruben Amorim.
He was axed by the Portuguese manager, resulting in a temporary spell at Aston Villa before he secured a season-long loan to the Spanish heavyweights.
With his loan arrangement now approaching its conclusion, Barca have the option to finalise the transfer for £26million but his long-term prospects remain highly uncertain.
Reports indicate the La Liga powerhouses are not intending to reach a verdict until the campaign concludes.
Regarding a possible return to Old Trafford, the report adds that even with a regime change at United, a summer reunion is by no means assured.
His reported £325,000-a-week salary 'does not fit comfortably' within the existing Old Trafford framework, which relies predominantly on performance-related contracts with reduced base wages.
It's also highlighted that if a permanent switch to the Camp Nou does not come to fruition, a loan elsewhere remains a possibility and with the World Cup looming, that could provide him with a crucial opportunity to attract prospective buyers.