New signing Marcus Rashford will make his first appearance in Barcelona colours at home this Sunday when the Spanish champions face Como in their final pre-season friendly.
But it’s not exactly the grand Nou Camp debut Rashford might have imagined — the match will be played behind closed doors at Barça’s training ground, and his availability for next weekend’s La Liga opener is still uncertain.
Two Weeks of Chaos at “Can Barça”
At FC Barcelona, drama is never far away. Known in Spain as “Can Barça” — a club where even the quietest off-season day can erupt into headlines — the last two weeks have been no exception.
While fans eagerly awaited Rashford’s debut, his arrival has been overshadowed by the turbulent fallout from the Marc-André ter Stegen saga.
Ter Stegen Fallout: Captaincy Lost and Regained
Ter Stegen, a club legend with 400+ appearances and 17 trophies, played only nine games last season due to injuries. Barcelona’s summer signing of Joan Garcia from rivals Espanyol signalled a possible changing of the guard.
To comply with La Liga’s strict financial rules, Barça needed to clear salary space to register new signings like Rashford and Garcia. Selling Ter Stegen would have helped — but his recent back surgery made a transfer impossible.
The club then attempted a bold move: deregister Ter Stegen until January. He refused, arguing he’d be fit by November. Barça responded by stripping him of the captaincy and opening disciplinary proceedings.
In a surprising twist, Ter Stegen later relented, regained the armband, and will now spend the next few months rehabbing as an unregistered player — likely paving the way for a January sale.
What It Means for Rashford
With Ter Stegen’s situation temporarily settled, Barcelona expect to finally register Marcus Rashford and other summer signings in time for next weekend’s away clash against Mallorca.
But in true Barça fashion, fans are taking nothing for granted until the official paperwork is done.
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