Official: Barcelona forward ruled out of Atletico Madrid clash due to knee discomfort | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have officially announced that key forward Marcus Rashford will not be available to face Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Thursday.

The Englishman is dealing with pain and discomfort in his knee, and as such, the Blaugrana have decided not to risk him as a precaution.

“First-team player Marcus Rashford is experiencing discomfort in his left knee due to a blow received during the match against Mallorca. He will sit out tomorrow’s match against Atletico Madrid as a precautionary measure,” the club statement read.

This comes after it was reported earlier that Rashford did not participate in the group training session today with the rest of the squad, along with Raphinha.

Considering that the Brazilian international is also unavailable due to a hamstring overload, Rashford’s absence as well comes as a major blow for Barcelona.

After all, the on-loan Manchester United forward has been a key contributor in front of goal for the Catalans, racking up more than 20 direct goal contributions this season.

With no Raphinha and Rashford for tomorrow’s Copa del Rey semi-final at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, it will be interesting to see who Hansi Flick opts to start on the left flank.

Ferran Torres can be an option, with Robert Lewandowski starting in the No. 9 position. The manager could also turn to one of Fermin Lopez or Dani Olmo to operate as a false-winger on the left flank.