Rashford benched for lateness in Barcelona’s win over Getafe – report

Marcus Rashford was left out of Barcelona’s starting lineup against Getafe on Sunday after arriving late for a pre-match team meeting, according to reports in Spain.

The Manchester United loanee, who had scored twice in the Champions League win over Newcastle days earlier, was instead named on the bench by head coach Hansi Flick.

Rashford was introduced at half-time with Barcelona already two goals up through Ferran Torres, and he later provided the assist for Dani Olmo’s strike that sealed a 3-0 victory at Camp Nou.

Flick enforces strict punctuality rules

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported that Rashford was only two minutes late, but Flick’s zero-tolerance policy on punctuality left him with no chance of starting.

The German coach has applied the same measure to other players including Inaki Pena, Jules Kounde and Raphinha in recent months.

Previous disciplinary history

It is not the first time Rashford has been dropped for lateness. Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag benched him in December 2022 for oversleeping, though the England forward came on to score the winner at Wolves.

Positive response from the forward

Despite the setback, Rashford responded well by making an instant impact off the bench.

Meanwhile, Flick downplayed the disciplinary angle after the match, insisting his team selection was based on “rotation.”