Marcus Rashford has made a significant adjustment to his routine after being disciplined by Barcelona manager Hansi Flick for a minor lateness infraction. The England forward was dropped to the bench for a La Liga fixture against Getafe last September after arriving two minutes late to a team meeting.
Flick had required players to attend a 9:30am meeting on matchday, followed by an activation session at 11am. Sources close to Rashford confirmed he arrived at 9:32am, prompting the German manager to enforce his strict punctuality policy. Flick started Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Raphinha instead, and Barcelona won 3-0.
Rashford has since ensured the same error does not recur, now arriving 30 minutes early for meetings, according to the Daily Mail. The forward's loan spell from Manchester United is nearing its end, with Barcelona holding an option to make the move permanent for £26million, though the club is not expected to decide until the season concludes.
A return to Old Trafford appears unlikely, even with a regime change at United. Rashford's reported £325,000-a-week wages do not fit comfortably within the club's current incentive-based salary structure. If Barcelona does not trigger the permanent transfer, a further loan move could materialise, offering Rashford a chance to impress suitors ahead of the World Cup.
