Barcelona's first stop on the journey to conquer the Champions League this season is St James' Park, where coach Hansi Flick and his team will have to face a Newcastle team full of discomfort in a passionate atmosphere. Moreover, Barca will enter this match without the "precious gem" Lamine Yamal.
The 18-year-old was sidelined with a groin injury, becoming the focus of controversy between the club and the Spanish national team. Before that, he seemed to be forced to play despite the pain in the international training session. This incident left the Blaugrana unable to hide their dissatisfaction, because according to them, Yamal's injury was completely avoidable.
In that context, Marcus Rashford - a loan new signing from Manchester United - will carry on his shoulders the expectation of replacing part of the void left by Yamal.
In terms of form, Barca are still unbeaten in La Liga, but their performance is not necessarily convincing. From having to make a hard comeback against Levante, then being held back by Rayo Vallecano, Blaugrana clearly showed many problems.
Therefore, the away trip to England promises to be a harsh test for Flick and his students in the opening match of the Champions League group stage.
Barcelona are currently embroiled in a fierce dispute with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over Yamal's injury handling. Despite not being able to practice, the 18-year-old was surprisingly placed in the starting lineup in both easy wins over Bulgaria and Turkey in the World Cup qualifiers in early September.
According to Barca's medical team, Yamal is suffering from mu won pain - a chronic problem in the groin and lower abdomen, which requires rest. This injury broke out in the match against Levante and became worse after the draw with Rayo Vallecano.
It is worth mentioning that La Roja's attack line is completely not lacking options. Luis de la Fuente still has Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, and experienced strikers such as Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Jorge de Frutos and Jesus Rodriguez. Therefore, many people question the need for a risk with Yamal.
Worse, this young talent even had to be injected with painkillers into the spine to reduce the condition described as " acute lower back pain". He is said to have asked for permission not to play in the match against Türkiye because he felt so uncomfortable that he did not want to leave the hotel. However, Yamal was still used, and the paradox is that he still managed to leave his mark with three assists after 2 matches.
Sources close to the Spanish national team confirmed that Barcelona had not announced any injuries or physical problems of Yamal when he was called up. During the periodic medical examination, physiotherapist Fernando Galan also did not detect any signs of abnormality.
However, to avoid further tensions, both sides seemed to have agreed to reconcile. Barca sporting director Deco will have a direct talk with technical director RFEF Aitor Karanka to improve the coordination.
"We have to improve communication, we have to improve processes between clubs and national teams. The current players have to carry too much work. International holidays are always complicated, because many people often return with injuries. I think we all need to be a little more careful," Deco said.
It is clear that Barca does not lack options to fill the void left by Yamal. However, in his first return to England since joining Blaugrana on loan, Rashford will certainly want to leave his mark at St James' Park.
The England international's record against Newcastle is extremely impressive. In 13 confrontations, he has contributed to 9 goals (5 goals, 4 assists).
Most memorable was the goal that sealed the 2-0 victory in the Carabao Cup final in 2023, bringing the trophy to Man United. Two seasons ago, Rashford also caused sadness for The Magpies with 2 goals and 3 assists in just 2 matches.
After an unfavorable start in Catalan, the 27-year-old striker sees this as a perfect opportunity to prove his worth. If he can shoulder the responsibility of attacking Yamal, his return to England will be a turning point in Rashford's journey to restart his career.
