Barcelona Nou Camp delay forces Rashford into small debut

Barcelona Nou Camp delay means Marcus Rashford will make his first home appearance at the 6,000-seat Johan Cruyff Stadium

The winger, who joined Barcelona in the summer, had hoped to mark his first outing at the famous Nou Camp, but ongoing renovation delays have left the ground without the required permits to host fans.

Also read: ‘Rashford!’ Manchester United MBE awardee included in study course in schools

Barcelona had already scheduled their opening three fixtures away from home to buy more time for contractors. Yet despite the buffer, the stadium is still not ready, with safety and occupancy approvals outstanding.

The Olympic Stadium, which served as Barcelona’s temporary base over the last two seasons, was ruled out as an alternative because of a Post Malone concert taking place just two days before Sunday’s match.

It means Rashford’s first home appearance will come at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, a venue that holds just 6,000 fans – a far cry from the Nou Camp’s pre-renovation capacity of 100,000.

Barcelona last played at their iconic home in May 2023, before work began under the Espai Barça project.

The ambitious scheme aims to modernise facilities, improve sustainability, and expand capacity beyond 100,000 seats when complete.

Also read: Ruben Amorim defends Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa

For now, though, Rashford and his teammates must settle for a more intimate setting as they continue their title defence away from the grandeur of the Nou Camp.