Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed he withdrew new signing Marcus Rashford during Sunday’s friendly against Vissel Kobe as part of a plan to build up the England international’s fitness.
After weeks of pushing to move to Catalonia, Rashford joined Barcelona on an initial loan last week. He came off the bench for the second half of Sunday’s win but was withdrawn after just over 30 minutes on the pitch.
The sight of Rashford leaving the game early sparked waves of concern from Barcelona fans, but Flick has insisted the 27-year-old is simply not yet fit enough to play a greater role.
“He’s a week behind the others,” Flick said of Rashford. “He hasn’t been training as much with the ball, and we want to look after him.”
Rashford echoed a need to build up his fitness during an assessment of his first unofficial appearance for the club.
“I feel very good, a good performance, and it was truly wonderful to play in front of the fans, and it was also beneficial in terms of physical fitness,” Rashford said.
“I’m looking forward to the upcoming matches. I know we managed to win the match today, but it’s very important to adapt to the team, get into the playing style, and deliver good football.”
The Manchester United loanee was also asked about his preferred role under Flick. Numerous reports have claimed the Barcelona boss sees Rashford as both a central striker and left winger, with his versatility among the attributes which convinced the Camp Nou officials to pursue his signature.
“I believe Hansi Flick can make me play good football,” he explained. “I play where the team needs me and try to score goals and create them from those positions.
“Maybe I prefer the left side, but I can play in different positions. One of my strengths is being able to play in various positions.”
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hansi Flick Explains Surprise Marcus Rashford Substitution in Barcelona Friendly.