Barcelona take drastic action for Marcus Rashford's next game after major issue during 33-minute debut
Barcelona have taken a major decision ahead of Marcus Rashford's second appearance for the club after his 33-minute debut.
Rashford signed for Barca on a season-long loan from Manchester United last week.
The Spanish giants have the option of signing the 27-year-old, who spent the second half of last season at Aston Villa, for a fixed fee of £30.3 million.
Rashford made his debut on Saturday against Japanese side Vissel Kobe, who Barca are taking on as part of their pre-season tour of Asia.
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He was brought on as a substitute at half-time, before being replaced 33 minutes later. His side won the game 3-1.
Manager Hansi Flick stated that the decision to withdraw Rashford early was down to workload management, explaining: "He's a week behind the others. He hasn't been training as much with the ball, and we want to look after him."
Now, Barcelona have been forced to take drastic action in the days following Rashford's debut - though it is not to do with the England international's performance.
Les Cules normally broadcast their matches live on the paid subscription channel Barca TV.
However, there was a significant amount of interest in their clash against Vissel Kobe - potentially due to the prospect of Rashford's first appearance in a Barcelona shirt.
The club have confirmed that they also 'received an attack of large proportions from various pages attempting to capture the live feed'.
Barca have now taken the decision to stream the final two games of their pre-season tour on their official YouTube channel, free of charge.
They will also compensate subscribers who were unable to watch the Vissel Kobe clash, adding in a statement: "The Club would like to apologise to its members and fans around the world because the service didn't reach the required standards."
Flick's side take on FC Seoul on July 31, before their Asia tour concludes with a fixture against Daegu FC on August 4.
Notably, the FC Seoul clash could see Rashford reunite with his former United team-mate Jesse Lingard.
Lingard, who captains the South Korea K League 1 side, has scored seven goals in 24 appearances this season.
Fourth-placed Seoul are currently in the midst of their 2025 season, which finishes in October, and defeated third-placed Daejeon 1-0 on Sunday.
Topics: Marcus Rashford, Football, La Liga, FC Barcelona, Man Utd
Ryan Smart