Barcelona's preparations for their La Liga opener against Mallorca have been complicated by potential registration issues. Club president Joan Laporta admitted that new signing Marcus Rashford might not be eligible to play due to ongoing financial constraints.
Rashford, who arrived on a season-long loan from Manchester United, is one of several new faces at the Catalan club. Other additions include goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Espanyol (€25m), alongside Roony Bardghji and Roger Martinez who joined on permanent deals. Barcelona needs to ensure they comply with La Liga's financial regulations to register all these players.
Complicating matters was a recent dispute with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen regarding his injury status. The club had hoped to leverage Ter Stegen's injury to free up funds, but the situation has since been resolved after the goalkeeper posted on social media that he would be sidelined for three months.
Laporta acknowledged the challenges but remained optimistic. "We're working to make it happen. With Marc's decision, we have the option of registering Joan Garcia, and we're working on the rest," he stated, adding, "This week we'll have news, hopefully good news, to see if we can register them before La Liga starts. And if we can't, we have time."
These comments came after Barcelona's 5-0 victory over Como in the Joan Gamper Trophy, where Rashford made his first start for the club and assisted Raphinha's goal. Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal both scored braces. Ter Stegen also addressed fans, expressing excitement for the season and welcoming the new signings.
Barcelona begin their La Liga title defence on August 16 against Mallorca. The team is confident after an unbeaten pre-season, during which they scored 20 goals in four matches.
