Rashford Reflects on United Tenure,Clasico Clash Faces Injury Concerns
Marcus Rashford has spoken about his long association with manchester United,stating,”People forget this,but 24,23 years of my life was with Manchester United,so sometimes you just need a change,” and adding that he is currently “enjoying everything.”
Simultaneously occurring, the upcoming Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona is overshadowed by critically important injury problems for both teams. Real Madrid, now under the leadership of Xabi Alonso following Carlo Ancelotti’s move to the Brazilian national team, will host Barcelona this weekend.
Last season saw Barcelona dominate Real Madrid, securing a LaLiga and Copa del Rey double, along with the Spanish Super Cup, winning all four encounters between the sides and scoring a total of 16 goals. Ancelotti’s Real Madrid finished the campaign without a trophy.
Alonso’s tenure has seen mixed results, including defeats to Paris st Germain in the Club World Cup semi-final and to Atletico Madrid in LaLiga, raising questions about his tactical approach. Real madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, has been crucial in securing points with numerous saves.
Jude Bellingham is regaining form after shoulder surgery, having scored his first goal of the season in Real’s 1-0 Champions League win against Juventus on Wednesday. Real’s attack is performing well, led by Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, with Arda Guler also enjoying a prosperous season. The team currently leads LaLiga with 24 points, two ahead of Barcelona.
Barcelona,under new coach Hansi Flick,are experiencing a downturn in form after last season’s success. They narrowly avoided a third consecutive defeat with a goal in added time against Girona. A 6-1 Champions League victory over Olympiacos was aided by a controversial red card issued to the Greek side.
Barcelona have lost 10 players to injury since August. Lamine Yamal is currently dealing with groin injuries, and questions have been raised regarding his work ethic.
The injury list for the Clasico is extensive.Barcelona will be without dani Olmo,Robert Lewandowski,Gavi,Joan Garcia,and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Hansi Flick will also be absent from the bench due to a red card received against Girona.
Real Madrid are monitoring the fitness of right backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal,who have returned to training. Dean Huijsen is expected to be available after recovering from a calf muscle injury, while David Alaba and Antonio Ruediger remain sidelined.
