Why Flick Dropped Marcus Rashford, Alonso Applauds Carrera’s Rise

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has shown once again that discipline comes before reputation, even for a player like Marcus Rashford who is currently in form.

Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, was left out of Barcelona’s starting lineup in their 3-0 win over Getafe after arriving late for a training session.

According to The Times, the England international was only two minutes behind schedule, but that was enough for Flick to make his point.

The decision raised eyebrows because Rashford had just scored his first goals for the Catalans in the Champions League win over Newcastle United.

With Lamine Yamal still recovering from injury, many expected Rashford to keep his place. Instead, Flick went with Ferran Torres, and the Spaniard justified his manager’s faith by scoring twice before the break.

Rashford came on at half-time for Raphinha and made his presence felt, setting up Dani Olmo for Barcelona’s third. But the bigger talking point was Flick’s refusal to compromise on standards.

The German had only recently benched Raphinha for a similar offence, showing he is determined to hold every player accountable.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso singled out new signing Alvaro Carreras for praise after their 2-0 victory over Espanyol at the weekend.

“I was optimistic, we had been following him for a while, but his personality and competitiveness have very pleasantly surprised me,” Alonso said after the match. “He makes very few mistakes and has a great mentality. It’s surprising how quickly he has adapted to that position.”

Carreras, brought in from Benfica during the summer, played the full 90 minutes and impressed with his composure.

Alonso acknowledged that the 20-year-old faces stiff competition from Fran García, David Alaba, and Ferland Mendy, but insisted his performances have already made an impact.

Real Madrid face Levante on Tuesday, and Carreras will be hoping to keep his place in the starting eleven.