AS: If Rashford continues to perform brilliantly, Rafinha will not lose his starting spot even if he returns

Recently, "AS" talked about Rashford's future in Barcelona. They said that if the player can continue to perform well, even if Raphinha returns, he may not be able to shake his starting position.

Although the expectations at the beginning of the season were not high, thanks to some injuries (such as Rafinha, Yamal and Lewandowski), coupled with his own outstanding performance, Rashford became the absolute main force in Barcelona. Flick initially gave him a few games to settle in, but he was handed a starting role upon his return from international duty, missing out on just one start due to a late incident - coming on as a substitute against Getafe, his next game after impressing at Newcastle.

From a statistical point of view, Rashford's performance was impeccable: six goals and nine assists (including a penalty kick). He has outstanding physical attributes and superb shooting skills, but he has also been criticized in some quarters. Barcelona suffered some setbacks after the recent El Clasico and Club Brugge games, with Rashford criticized for being lax defensively.

Some people think that he is too self-centered and not team-oriented enough at certain times. However, Frick obviously didn't think so. In the game against Celta Vigo, he unexpectedly started Rashford (it was originally expected to be the forward combination of Ferran-Lewand-Hyamar). As a result, Rashford not only provided two assists for Lewandowski, but also showed excellent defensive investment and many key confrontations, proving that Flick's choice was correct.

However, there are still some questions about Rashford's future, which may be related to some controversy when he joined from Manchester United. With Raphinha returning, Rashford may lose his starting spot. Nonetheless, Rashford is still likely to retain his starting spot in the upcoming games against Athletic Bilbao and Chelsea. But if Rafinha regains his form, then Rafinha may become the starter in the game against Alaves.

Rashford has been fully committed since the start of the season, and people are curious about his reaction after losing his starting position. Currently, the club has no complaints about his work and many believe he will continue to work hard. Rashford has made it clear that he wants to play for Barcelona and has rejected invitations from other teams. In addition, he is also facing the pressure of the World Cup. Tuchel has included him in his plans, and he started the game over Eze against Serbia and helped the team win against Albania.

Perhaps it is too early to predict the future. So far, Rashford has not lost his starting position. If he can continue to maintain efficient performance in every game, even Raphinha, who had a brilliant record last season, will not be able to shake his status in Flick's mind.