Marcus Rashford is one of several Barcelona players whose availability for the club’s LaLiga opener could be in jeopardy due to ongoing financial and administrative hurdles.
Hansi Flick's side are scheduled to begin their league campaign against RCD Mallorca on August 16, but registration issues may prevent as many as seven players from being cleared to play.
Once again, Barcelona find themselves racing against time to comply with LaLiga's financial fair play regulations, which require clubs to balance their wage bill before new players can be registered.
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The Catalan club had hoped to unlock financial flexibility by leveraging the injury status of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, one of their highest-paid players.
Marcus Rashford is one of several Barcelona players whose availability for the club’s LaLiga opener could be in jeopardy due to ongoing financial and administrative hurdles
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Ter Stegen, 33, underwent back surgery last month and is currently sidelined.
If LaLiga deems the injury serious enough to keep him out for at least four to five months, Barcelona would be allowed to redirect some of his salary space toward registering new arrivals.
However, a key obstacle remains.
In order for the league to accept the injury exemption, Ter Stegen must personally sign off on a medical report that confirms the expected recovery timeline.
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So far, he has refused to do so, maintaining his initial assessment that he would be out for just three months.
Barcelona have responded with internal disciplinary action, even going as far as stripping Ter Stegen of the club captaincy as tensions rise behind the scenes.
His refusal has had a domino effect, according to Marca.
Without the expected salary relief, Barca are currently unable to register several players, including Rashford, who joined the club on loan from Manchester United last month.
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Marcus Rashford has featured for Barcelona in pre-season following his loan move from Man Utd
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The 27-year-old England international has enjoyed a promising pre-season, most recently scoring against South Korean side Daegu.
Fellow new signing Roony Bardghji is also among those at risk of missing the league opener.
Barca’s goalkeeping situation is particularly strained, as neither Joan Garcia, signed from Espanyol, nor Wojciech Szczesny, who recently came out of retirement to join the club, are currently eligible for registration.
Promising youth talents Marc Bernal, Gerard Martin, and Héctor Fort are also impacted.
In addition, former Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu, who spent last season on loan at Girona, would not be included in the matchday squad under the current restrictions.
However, Romeu is widely expected to leave the club in the coming weeks.
Barcelona did take a step toward easing the situation by offloading Inigo Martinez, who joined Saudi side Al-Nassr yesterday.
Still, more player sales are expected in order to meet league requirements.
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Ruben Amorim and Marcus Rashford failed to click before Manchester United loaned the winger to Aston Villa earlier this year | GETTYFlick and his squad will conclude their pre-season preparations this Sunday with a home friendly against Italian side Como, now managed by former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fàbregas.
As the new LaLiga season approaches, the club's financial challenges, now intensified by their standoff with Ter Stegen, continue to cast uncertainty over who will actually take the field in their opening fixture.