Marcus Rashford has rediscovered his smile since joining Barcelona on loan from Manchester United, according to head coach Hansi Flick. The England forward, who struggled for form at Old Trafford, has scored six goals in all competitions for the Spanish champions this season.
Flick confirmed Rashford is fit to face Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday night after recovering from a cold that kept him out of Saturday's win over Athletic Bilbao. 'He came back from a cold, but he's OK. We'll decide tomorrow if he starts or not,' Flick said. 'I'm really very happy to have him in our team.'
The Barcelona manager noted the positive impact of Rashford's move to Spain. 'This change to live in another culture, with fantastic people, nice weather, it's amazing. We can see now he's also smiling a lot,' Flick added. Barcelona travel to London level on points with Chelsea at the top of the Champions League league phase, leading on goal difference.
Chelsea will be without Cole Palmer, who has a broken toe from a home accident and is unlikely to face Arsenal on Sunday, according to manager Enzo Maresca. The Blues will also miss Pedri for Barcelona, but Raphinha returns to fitness. Left-back Marc Cucurella joked he has been preparing to mark Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in training, telling teenage teammate Estevao Willian to 'put shin pads on'.
Maresca, asked about his managerial ambitions, said he was happy at Chelsea. 'I always say I don't know what happens in three or four months. I'm very happy to be at this huge club, one of the best clubs in the world.'
