Marcus Rashford could be forced to sit out Barcelona’s LaLiga opener after club president Joan Laporta admitted some of their summer signings may not be registered in time.
The England forward joined the Catalan side on loan from Manchester United last month, with an option to make the deal permanent for around £30million.
He made his fourth appearance on Sunday night as Barcelona wrapped up pre-season with a 5-0 win over Como.
Laporta confirmed new goalkeeper Joan Garcia will be registered after the club resolved a dispute with Marc Andre ter Stegen, but fellow arrivals Rashford, Roony Bardghji and Wojciech Szczesny face an anxious wait to make the squad that travels to Mallorca on Saturday.
‘We’re working to make it happen,’ Laporta said. ‘With Marc’s decision, we have the option of registering Joan Garcia, and we’re working on the rest.
‘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.’
Marcus Rashford could be forced to sit out Barcelona’s LaLiga opener against Mallorca
President Joan Laporta admitted Barca’s summer signings may not be registered in time
Joan Garcia will be registered after the club resolved a dispute with Marc Andre ter Stegen
Ter Stegen was stripped of the captaincy on Thursday following a disagreement over back surgery he underwent in July.
Spanish reports claim Barcelona could have covered 80 per cent of his wages until mid-season if the 33-year-old had been classed as a long-term injury absentee, freeing up funds to register new players.
The club say Ter Stegen has now completed the necessary paperwork allowing them to submit his medical report, and he has since been reinstated as captain.
Laporta heaped praised on the German, saying: ‘We’re looking forward. Marc is our captain, I think he’s been excellent. What was left has been resolved.
‘He said some sincere words, I think, and I think the fans needed this, to see the captain leading the way.
‘He’s been with Barca for 12 seasons, won a Champions League, and besides being an excellent goalkeeper, he’s an excellent person, and I’m especially happy that he’s the captain.’
Barcelona have repeatedly struggled to register players in recent seasons due to their financial troubles.
Last term they faced a drawn-out battle over Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, who were initially handed temporary licences before LaLiga revoked them during the January transfer window.
Ter Stegen settled his dispute with the club and has since been reinstated as captain
An appeal later saw the licences restored, but the dispute dragged on for much of the 2025-26 campaign.
