Chaos & controversy - Rashford's first two weeks inside Barca soap opera

New Barcelona signing Marcus Rashford will make his location debut connected Sunday, facing Como successful a last friends earlier nan onset of La Liga.

But it's not precisely nan first quality successful his caller metropolis that Rashford would person envisaged.

The crippled will beryllium played wrong Barca's training ground, pinch his readiness for adjacent weekend's convention opener still not guaranteed.

BBC Sport runs nan norm complete a decidedly, but typically, chaotic 2 weeks for nan Spanish champions.

Life is ne'er dull astatine FC Barcelona - aliases 'Can Barca' arsenic nan nine and its surrounding situation is known successful Spain.

Even nan sleepiest off-season Sunday tin abruptly erupt into nan latest melodramatic controversy, pinch rumours, counter-rumours and abrupt U-turns a matter of course.

This summertime has been nary different, pinch Rashford's first fortnight astatine nan nine overshadowed by a bid of sagas.

The biggest of those, centred connected nine skipper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, looked for a while arsenic though it would moreover hold Rashford's convention debut.

Ter Stegen is simply a Barca fable pinch much than 400 appearances and 17 trophies nether his belt. But he has precocious sustained respective injuries, playing only 9 games past season, and nan summertime signing of Joan Garcia from Espanyol powerfully suggests nan nine is fresh to shove their skipper aside.

Attempts to waste him, however, were thwarted erstwhile nan keeper underwent room connected a backmost problem - and that besides had wider ramifications.

Barca are presently barred by La Liga from registering their caller signings, including Rashford and Garcia, because their troubled finances do not meet La Liga's strict guidelines.

Selling Ter Stegen would person freed up capable net abstraction to do so, but his room made a summertime waste impossible. So Barca devised different plan: de-register their skipper until January.

Ter Stegen, however, refused to motion nan basal paperwork, reasoning that his wounded should only sideline him until November.

Barca reacted furiously, opening disciplinary proceedings against nan keeper and stripping him of nan captaincy.

Ter Stegen past relented, had nan captaincy restored and will walk nan adjacent fewer months arsenic an unregistered subordinate successful rehab earlier - barring mediocre shape aliases wounded to his replacement Garcia - astir apt being sold successful January.

That should unfastened nan doorway for Rashford and different caller signings to beryllium registered (but return thing for granted until nan paperwork is complete), meaning he'll beryllium disposable for adjacent Saturday's convention opener against Mallorca.

That crippled will beryllium played distant from home… and therein lies different summertime drama.

In an untypical outbreak of practice betwixt Barca and La Liga, nan club's first 3 convention games person each been scheduled distant from home, providing clip to complete nan reconstruction of nan Nou Camp.

Theoretically.

Barca person spent nan past 2 seasons playing astatine nan city's Olympic Stadium while their iconic location has undergone a awesome redevelopment - adding astir 10,000 seats, a tile and enhanced firm accommodation - which is costing much than £1bn.

The task has suffered important delays, pinch nan primitively scheduled reopening successful December 2024 now agelong gone.

This weekend's friends against Como was past earmarked for nan expansive opening. But that besides proved impossible, truthful nan crippled was switched to nan 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium wrong nan training ground, usually utilized by nan reserve and women's teams.

The adjacent milestone is nan play of 13-14 September, erstwhile Barca will big Valencia for their delayed location opener successful information 4 of La Liga.

Latest photos from nan building tract - which is what nan Nou Camp really still is - show nan little tiers of seating person been installed and nan transportation has been laid, but there's still a immense magnitude of activity to complete.

Earlier this week, section authorities agreed to assistance information certificates to let astir 27,000 fans wrong for nan Valencia crippled - but only if nan basal building is completed successful time. So now it's a title against nan timepiece pinch nary tickets yet connected waste aliases venue confirmed.

And erstwhile will nan new-look stadium beryllium afloat complete, allowing Rashford and his team-mates to measurement retired successful beforehand of much than 100,000 fans? For now, that tricky mobility is being overlooked.

But it's acold off… rather perchance moreover agelong aft Rashford's departure.

With each nan surrounding sound it tin sometimes beryllium forgotten that Barca's main intent is to play shot - and connected nan transportation Rashford has made a promising start.

His debut came during nan club's summertime circuit to Asia, showing explosive flashes during a 3-1 triumph complete Japanese champions Vissel Kobe (a crippled that, successful emblematic Barca style, was cancelled and past reinstated wrong days of kick-off pursuing a conflict pinch nan promoter).

Rashford has continued to characteristic prominently passim pre-season, scoring his first Barca extremity successful past Monday's 5-0 rout of South Korean broadside Daegu.

His performances during nan circuit earned precocious praise, pinch section media reporting he has impressed his caller team-mates pinch some his method expertise and his beingness shape.

And his chances of instantly taking a cardinal domiciled person been enhanced by an wounded to striker Robert Lewandowski, leaving Rashford and Ferran Torres to compete for nan centre-forward berth.

Rashford filled that position to bully effect successful nan triumph complete Daegu and will almost surely person much minutes arsenic nan striker against Como, giving him nan cleanable showcase to person Hansi Flick he should commencement against Mallorca adjacent weekend.

Lewandowski's position for nan competitory kick-off is uncertain, but Flick has already seen Rashford tin make a beardown publication some arsenic a number 9 aliases connected nan near wing, truthful he is judge to person opportunities.

And, considering nan endless scrutiny he knowledgeable during his last years successful England, he's astir apt rather relieved that nan endless Barca circus has, truthful far, allowed him to alert nether nan radar.