Raphinha's absence is a significant blow to Barcelona, as one of their best players and a key figure in coach Hans Flick's lineup will miss the upcoming matches, particularly the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.

The German coach is forced to look for solutions to compensate for this shortage, and a natural opportunity arises for Marcus Rashford, who plays in the same position as the Brazilian, to prove his ability to remain in the team's lineup for the next season.

The newspaper indicated that Barcelona was initially prepared to activate the purchase option agreed upon with Manchester United to ensure the player's continuation. However, Rashford's performance decline since January led the club officials to wait until the end of the season before making a final decision. The player's performance saw a downturn after returning from the winter break, and with Raphinha's return from injury, he regained his role in the starting lineup.

Raphinha's absence is a golden opportunity for Rashford to prove his worth, especially since the competition for his position was strong with the Brazilian, who was performing exceptionally well before his injury.

The poor performance of other competing forwards, such as Ferran Torres and Roony Bardghji, makes Flick inclined to choose Rashford for the left wing, while keeping Firmin and Dani Olmo as options. Therefore, the player's continued presence with Barcelona now depends on his ability to seize this opportunity and prove his worth.