Marcus Rashford’s treatment against Newcastle 

Marcus Rashford’s treatment versus Newcastle is considerably different from Barcelona’s transfer decision.

Marcus Rashford has gone from Manchester United pariah to Barcelona star in a short of months, after being placed on the bench during a game at Newcastle United.

Ruben Amorim reintroduced Marcus Rashford to Manchester United’s team for a match against Newcastle United, nine months after he was dropped.

The forward is preparing to face the Magpies at St James’ Park on Thursday night with his new team, Barcelona, in their first Champions League game of the season. This demonstrates how quickly his situation has changed.

Amorim’s decision came as Rashford was being shelved due to a disagreement with the Portuguese head coach. Rashford was unexpectedly named to the bench for Man United’s final game of 2024 against Eddie Howe’s side, after being removed from the team owing to poor training performances. This was his first appearance in five matchday squads.

Amorim made it clear that the 27-year-old’s involvement was motivated by the large number of injuries, rather than any change in their relationship. That game spoke volumes about the players’ precarious predicament at Old Trafford. Rashford remained on the bench as Newcastle secured a merited 2-0 win.

Rashford secured a season-long loan transfer to Catalonia in the summer, following a brief stay at Aston Villa and being linked with the Magpies. Since then, he’s been trying to find his footing under Hansi Flick and his star-studded team.

Rashford’s relationship with Ruben Amorim completely broke down prior to his loan move to Barcelona(Image: PA)

Rashford stated following his move: “It’s a club where people’s dreams come true, and they win big.

“The club’s values are very important to me. I feel at home here, and one of the reasons I chose to come here is because it is a family-friendly environment where good players can demonstrate their abilities.

“Another element is that the chats I had with Hansi Flick were pleasant. “What he did last season [when Barcelona won La Liga] was fantastic.”

And, after collecting his first assist in last weekend’s 6-0 success over Valencia, the England international should be looking forward to returning to St James’ Park, where he has previously played for Manchester United.

Rashford is in Barcelona’s squad for the Champions League clash at St James’ Park(Image: Jose Breton/NurPhoto)

Rashford was not accompanied on the aircraft to the UK by teenage star Lamine Yamal, who is out due to injury. In better news for Barcelona, Frenkie de Jong is fit for the game following a groin injury.

This will be the fifth Champions League match between the two teams. Their last meeting was at St James’ Park in the 2002/03 season, when Barcelona won 2-0 in the group stage thanks to goals from Patrick Kluivert and Thiago Motta.

Shola Ameobi scored during the Magpies’ 3-1 defeat at the Camp Nou earlier that season.

Newcastle won their first Champions League match against Barcelona 3-2 in 1997/98, defeating Luis Figo and Rivaldo before losing 1-0 in the group stage at Nou Camp.