Marcus Rashford was already put on notice by Hansi Flick before breaking Barcelona rules

Hansi Flick has made his feelings known on Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford after the Champions League sensation arrived late to training. The striker was brilliant for Barcelona last week, netting a brace against Newcastle - including a spectacular long-range effort that proved to be the matchwinner - as the Catalan giants kicked off their European adventure with victory.

Yet he found himself benched for Sunday evening's La Liga clash with Getafefollowing his late appearance at the training ground. Rashford entered as a substitute and set up a goal in Barca's commanding 3-0 triumph, but his exclusion from the starting XI demonstrated manager Flick's no-nonsense approach, which has been evident on numerous previous occasions.

Flick had already served laid out the precedent that Rashford and his team-mates had to follow.

Defender Jules Kounde faced similar treatment multiple times last campaign after failing to arrive punctually for training sessions. The German tactician addressed this punctuality issue during a press conference at the time, cautioning his remaining players that attending training promptly demonstrates respect for their colleagues.

He said: "It's not that difficult to show up and do your job. It's not just about me, but about respect for the players and everyone else."

This warning from last season served as Rashford's heads-up before his loan switch to Barca. Flick ensured it was crystal clear that he wouldn't stand for any nonsense within his squad, with sanctions being dished out whenever necessary.

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Raphinha also found himself on the bench for Barcelona during a recent clash against Valencia, a decision that underlines manager Hansi Flick's ethos of equality within the team, regardless of the Brazilian's significant impact.

Marcus Rashford bounced back from being sidelined by Flick, setting up Dani Olmo for Barca's third goal. This marks Rashford's second consecutive La Liga match with an assist, complementing his two goals since returning to England last week.

Flick praised the United forward, particularly noting Rashford's preference for a central role. This could be seen as a nudge to England manager Thomas Tuchel ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Speaking after the game, the Barcelona coach said: "We decided to bring Marcus in. He can also play on the right, but I think he prefers to play as a number 11 or as a number 9."

The on-loan star has been shining in Spain so far, in a complete U-turn of his performances at United before Ruben Amorim bombed him out of the squad last season.

After spending the second half of the campaign at Aston Villa - where he also shone in the Champions League - Rashford made a move to Barca in the summer and hasn't seemed to look back.

The in-form star aims to maintain his stellar performance for the Spanish giants in their upcoming fixture against Oviedo on Thursday night.

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