Marcus Rashford has hit the ground running at Barcelona, making his first appearance since his season-long loan switch from Manchester United.
The English forward, who recently joined the Catalan side, is currently touring Japan with his new club for their pre-season fixtures. Rashford got a taste of action in Barca’s 3-1 victory over Vissel Kobe on Sunday, entering the fray after half-time and playing until the 78th minute.
Post-match, Barcelona’s boss Hansi Flick shed light on Rashford’s early substitution, citing fitness concerns. “He’s a week behind the others,” Flick remarked.
“He hasn’t been training as much with the ball, and we want to look after him. It was a very good match, a good test for us.”
Flick praised the team’s performance, particularly the opening half-hour, while acknowledging some loss of control later on. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s play and noted the similarities between Vissel Kobe’s style and Barcelona’s approach.
Barcelona also issued an apology following technical difficulties during the live stream of the friendly match. The club statement addressed the issue: “The club apologises for inconvenience caused during the broadcast of the game against Vissel Kobe.
“FC Barcelona’s streaming platforms received an attack of large proportions from various pages attempting to capture the live feed of the preseason game against Vissel Kobe.
“As a result of this avalanche of requests, the system engaged the pertinent security mechanisms which then affected the broadcast on the website and the Culers App.
“Straightaway, the decision was taken to offer the game free on the Clubs’ YouTube platform to guarantee the broadcast of the game. The club apologises for the inconvenience caused and will be contact with all those people affected.”