With Ruben Amorim under increasing pressure at Manchester United, the amount that it would cost INEOS to sack their manager has now been revealed.

Latest on Ruben Amorim's Man Utd future

Victory over Chelsea seemed like a glimmer of hope for many, but the reality is that it just papered over the cracks for Amorim in what has been an historically disastrous tenure. A win over Brentford would have handed the former Sporting Club boss back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time in his 11-month spell and it just about sums things up that the Red Devils came away defeated in West London.

Now, it’s all eyes on Old Trafford and Sunderland’s visit. Lose and that may be that for Amorim, who is still refusing to alter the system which has picked up just nine Premier League wins in 33 games.

With pressure increasing, questions have naturally arrived about who could replace Amorim at Old Trafford, with those questions leading to the likes of Gareth Southgate and Oliver Glasner.

Southgate has been out of a job since leaving his England post and has been mentioned among reports as a candidate to replace Amorim if the manager loses his job at Man United.

That said, he’s not the only one on the list. Reports have also mentioned Crystal Palace manager Glasner, who has taken the Eagles into European football and to a stunning 19-game unbeaten run. If the Red Devils want someone who can transform a side in the Premier League, then he is their man.

Just how much it would cost to take the Austrian out of his role at Palace immediately is another question entirely, however, and it would already cost INEOS more than enough to sack Amorim.

How much it would cost Man Utd to sack Amorim

INEOS didn’t just go all in on their manager when it came to summer signings, they also backed the Portuguese coach from the off when negotiating his contract. Now, after a disastrous spell, it would reportedly cost Man Utd £12m to sack Amorim in what should be seen as a nightmare ending for Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

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It also continues a shocking trend for Man United, who would take their termination costs to as high as £81.8m since Sir Alex Ferguson by relieving Amorim of his duties. For context of how incredibly poor that record is, Liverpool paid £75m to sign Virgil van Dijk in 2018, who has since won every trophy on offer at Anfield and been a part of several thrashings over the Red Devils.

Ferguson’s coaching team

£2.4m

David Moyes

£5.2m

Louis van Gaal

£8.4m

Jose Mourinho

£19.6m

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

£9.1m

Ralf Rangnick

£14.7m

Erik ten Hag

£10.4m

Ruben Amorim*

£12m

Total* if Amorim sacked

£81.8m

When INEOS first hired Amorim, it was their first big call and one that many backed. He was a young, impressive candidate. Now, 11 months on, their first decision is one that looks destined to end in expensive failure.

Mitchell Starc has decided against flying back to India for the remainder of IPL 2025 for Delhi Capitals (DC). AAP understands that a week after being part of the match that was abandoned in Dharamsala – and will be replayed – Starc has told the franchise that he wouldn’t be finishing the league. Donovan Ferreira, who played one game this season, will also not be returning.The update means that Starc will have a clear runway into the World Test Championship (WTC) final, avoiding the possibility of playing T20s in India a week before the match. Starc is DC’s highest wicket-taker so far in the season with 14 wickets in 11 matches at 26.14.There is still no confirmation on whether Faf du Plessis would be returning to DC, while Tristan Stubbs has confirmed his return, but only for the rest of the league phase, after which he would be leaving for the WTC final.DC have also signed Mustafizur Rahman as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, who isn’t returning to India. However, there is a bit of uncertainty over Mustafizur’s participation, since the BCB has stated that it hadn’t been approached for a non-objection certificate for the cricketer, who is in Sharjah currently to play in a T20I series against UAE.Of the other Australians at the IPL, Pat Cummins and Travis Head are both returning to India to link up with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who are out of the running for the playoffs and finish their engagements for the season on May 25, which will give both players enough time to prepare for the WTC final.Josh Hazlewood will assess a niggling shoulder injury before determining whether to go back to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for their title tilt. Josh Inglis has, meanwhile, held off a decision on his plans to return for Punjab Kings (PBKS), while Mitchell Marsh will be back for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Shubman Gill will lead the squad, with Rishabh Pant the vice-captain

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-20252:39

Agarkar on why Nair, Arshdeep and Sai Sudharsan were picked

B Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh have been picked in India’s Test squad for the first time, while Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur have made comebacks for the five-match series in England that starts on June 20.The 18-man squad is led by 25-year old Shubman Gill, who was appointed India’s new Test captain by the selection panel headed by Ajit Agarkar at a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday. Agarkar said Jasprit Bumrah, who was India’s vice-captain on the recent tour of Australia, was unlikely to play all five Tests in England due to workload management and that was a factor in him not being given the captaincy.Gill succeeded Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format in May following poor returns over the past season, especially during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Rishabh Pant was appointed vice-captain of the squad.Related

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The batting group includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran in addition to Gill, Pant, Sudharsan and Nair, with Dhruv Jurel as the second wicketkeeper.The squad has four allrounders (two pace, two spin) in Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy.There are five specialist fast bowlers – Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep – with Kuldeep Yadav the only specialist spinner in the 18.The series is India’s first since the retirements of Rohit, R Ashwin and Virat Kohli from Test cricket, and Mohammed Shami was also missing from the squad. Shami had not yet built up to Test match workloads during his recovery from the ankle surgery he had in February last year.Sarfaraz Khan and Harshit Rana are the only two players who were part of the original Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad to be dropped for the England tour. Tanush Kotian and Devdutt Padikkal, who came in as replacements during India’s tour of Australia, were not picked either.The five Tests against England will be India’s first in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. They play the first Test at Headingley (from June 20), the second at Edgbaston (from July 2), the third at Lord’s (from July 10), the fourth at Old Trafford (from July 23), and the final at The Oval (from July 31).They begin the tour with a four-day match against India A at Beckenham on the outskirts of London between June 13 and 16.India Test squad for EnglandShubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh

Pedro Neto believes Chelsea have learned fast on their Champions League return after their campaign got going with victory over Benfica.

A first-half own goal was all that separated the Blues from Jose Mourinho’s visitors in a game of few clear-cut chances but, after being outclassed in their opener at Bayern Munich, this win got Enzo Maresca’s side back on track after three defeats in four in all competitions.

Neto and Alejandro Garnacho combined in the 18th minute to force the only goal from midfielder Richard Rios, who bounced the ball past his own goalkeeper as it fizzed across the six-yard box.

"Neto reveals Chelsea resilience"

“We learned a lot from the first game and we are really happy,” Neto told Chelsea’s website.

“I think the team did really well. We knew the difficulties we had in the first game (3-1 loss at Bayern on September 17), and we tried to work hard to manage moments in this game. I think today we showed the resilience of the team.

“Benfica are a tough team to face at home. We knew we would have to work hard tonight. We played well, we could’ve controlled the match more with the quality we have, but we are really happy with the three points.”

Chelsea had taken the match to Bundesliga champions Bayern two weeks ago in what was their first Champions League outing in nearly two and a half years, but were undone by poor concentration at key moments and their opponents’ greater experience.

There were no such tribulations on Tuesday as, even amid the circus surrounding three-time Premier League winner Mourinho’s homecoming, they got the job done with minimal fuss.

For head coach Maresca the downside was a third red card in four matches, Joao Pedro dismissed in the final minute of added time for a high boot which earned him a second yellow card. The forward will miss Ajax’s visit to Stamford Bridge later this month.

But otherwise it was a satisfactory night as the team registered a first Champions League win since the side managed by Graham Potter beat Borussia Dortmund in March 2023.

For Neto, it was further evidence of his growing indispensability to the side, particularly with Maresca facing an injury crisis ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against champions Liverpool.

He said: “I always try to improve and do the best for the team, and I think today we worked hard as a group, and we are really happy. It’s a really important win.

“A win in this competition, the Champions League, shows what we can do, and I think we can do even better. We will be ready to play against Liverpool.”

The Russell Martin reign at Rangers has certainly not got off to the brightest start, although if there is to be a crumb of comfort at Ibrox, it’s that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Indeed, for all the calamity of the past month or so, it’s worth remembering that Ange Postecoglou also endured his own limp start elsewhere in Glasgow, failing to win any of his first three competitive games in charge at Celtic.

An attack-minded coach – in a similar mould to Martin – the Aussie went on to turn the tide and steer the Hoops to five domestic honours across his two seasons in charge, having successfully shaken off that iffy beginning.

For the Gers, the ex-Southampton boss does face an uphill task, although there is an exciting array of talents at his disposal, with summer signing Thelo Aasgaard notably netting four times off the bench for Norway earlier this week.

Djeidi Gassama, meanwhile, has already hit the ground running with four goals and one assist from just ten appearances for the Light Blues, with intrigue mounting over just how £8m man Youssef Chermiti will settle in to life in Scottish football.

While the transfer fee would suggest otherwise, the Portuguese youngster is a raw, inexperienced talent who is yet to realise his potential – perhaps he can look to Hamza Igamane’s Rangers spell as reason for encouragement.

Hamza Igamane's start to life after Rangers

There is no justifying the actions of Igamane as his relatively brief Rangers stint came to a close, with the 22-year-old said to have refused to come off the bench during the draw with St Mirren, in fear of a potential injury hampering his impending move to Lille.

That £10.4m sale was subsequently agreed, with those at Ibrox no doubt glad to see the back of a player who showcased such blatant self-interest and disregard for his manager.

That being said, of course, it’s hard to deny the forward’s obvious talent, having already settled into life in France with a delightful double on debut in the 7-1 thrashing of Lorient prior to the international break.

The first of those two efforts saw the Moroccan wizard fire home on the rebound following a trademark jinking run in the build-up, with those back in Glasgow having witnessed such quality first hand last season.

In all, the £1.7m addition – who was a relative unknown at the time – contributed 16 goals in 49 games in total prior to his toxic departure, as per Transfermarkt, having since followed up his debut heroics at Lille with a further two goals for his country over the past week.

With five goals and assists to his name across his last 155 minutes of action for club and country, the youngster is undoubtedly thriving after sealing his desired Ibrox exit.

For those at Rangers, however, he now belongs to the past, with Martin now able to wield a potentially even bigger talent this season.

Rangers could have an even bigger talent than Igamane

As already stated, the early success story from an extensive summer of recruitment so far has been Gassama, with the ex-Sheffield Wednesday winger netting all four of his goals thus far in just six Champions League qualification games.

The 22-year-old – signed for just £2.2m – could be a star of the present and future at Ibrox, although for 2025/26, keep an eye on young Mikey Moore to be the man to ultimately steal the limelight.

Still only 18, the Tottenham Hotspur loanee could eclipse Igamane and co as arguably the biggest prospect to have turned out for the Light Blues in recent times, having been hailed as “one of England’s best players of his age group” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Also described as a “superstar” by Mattinson, the promising Englishman has already made his presence felt back in north London, registering one goal and two assists from just 21 senior games for Spurs to date.

Igamane caught the eye in the Europa League last term, with four goals and one assist from just ten appearances, although at the age of just 17, Moore was making his own impression for the Premier League outfit in Europe.

Games

5

Goals

1

Assists

1

Big chances created

1

Key passes*

0.8

Successful dribbles*

0.8

Pass accuracy*

83%

Possession lost*

0.4

On just his second start of 2024/25 against AZ Alkmaar back in October, the teenage sensation was notably compared to Brazil great Neymar by teammate James Maddison, having been lauded for his “fearless” display down the left flank.

That performance led to notable plaudits from the aforementioned Postecoglou, with the Aussie stating that he had been “willing” his side to keep giving the ball to the academy graduate – high praise indeed:

For such a talent to now be on the books at Rangers, albeit temporarily, is undoubtedly an exciting prospect, with Moore already chalking up one assist from his first four games under Martin’s watch.

Igamane, for all his flaws, looks destined to be a star in the years to come. At four years his junior and already earning rave reviews, however, it is Moore who may well have the bigger ceiling.

Rangers must regret losing the "Mbappe of Scottish football" for nothing

Rangers had a star who was described as the Kylian Mbappe of Scottish football, then lost him for nothing.

ByDan Emery Sep 11, 2025

Celtic have failed to win three of their last five matches in all competitions and have been held to drab scoreless draws in two of those matches.

The Hoops failed to make the breakthrough against Hibernian at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon, despite creating seven ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, per Sofascore.

Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed that his team were unable to score from 26 shots and seven ‘big chances’ at home in front of their own supporters, particularly as the result has left them second in the table.

It will be doubly frustrating because the Scottish giants also had six ‘big chances’ to score against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday night, but only scored once.

This means that Celtic have scored one goal from 13 ‘big chances’ created in the last two matches against Red Star Belgrade and Hibernian, which does not paint their attack in the best light.

Kelechi Iheanacho was the player who scored in the draw against the Serbian side in midweek, with a terrific finish into the top corner, but he lost his mojo for the clash with Hibernian.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho let Celtic down against Hibernian

The left-footed marksman made a terrific start to his career at Parkhead with a debut goal, from the penalty spot, against Kilmarnock to win the game in the 96th minute.

Iheanacho then registered an assist for Sebastian Tounekti against Partick Thistle in the League Cup in his second outing, before scoring an excellent goal against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League.

His contributions across those three matches earned him a start in the number nine position against Hibernian, having come off the bench in the matches to score against Kilmarnock and Red Star Belgrade.

Iheanacho was unable to build on those promising cameos, though, as his performance against Hibernian left a bit too much to be desired, particularly with his play in front of goal in the 0-0 draw.

The Nigeria international played the opening 67 minutes of the match against Hibs and was unable to make the breakthough in front of goal, despite the team creating enough chances for him to do so.

Minutes

67

Shots

4

Shots on target

1

Big chances missed

2

Passes completed

9/10

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

As you can see in the table above, his teammates helped him to take four shots at goal and have two ‘big chances’, but he squandered his opportunities, including one from close-range that smacked the crossbar.

The former Sevilla marksman, who arrived at Parkhead as a free agent, will be hoping that he can improve his efficiency in front of goal as he gets back up to full match sharpness, given that the clash with Hibernian was just his second start of the season.

Iheanacho lost his goalscoring touch for the weekend’s clash, having scored in two of his first three games, but there is another player in the squad whose decline in form in front of goal is even more concerning.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Rodgers unleashed Daizen Maeda on the right flank against Hibernian, with Iheanacho through the middle and Sebastian Tounekti on the left flank, and the Japan international produced an underwhelming display.

Daizen Maeda has lost his Midas touch for Celtic

In the 2024/25 campaign, it seemed like everything Maeda touched turned to goals. He ended the season with a return of 33 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

The Japanese marksman, who scored 16 goals in the Scottish Premiership, earned the Player of the Year award in Scotland, thanks to his prolific form in front of goal.

Unfortunately, it currently looks like last season’s exploits were a flash in the pan for the 27-year-old attacker, whose output in front of goal has declined since the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

As explained in the clip below from the Daily Record’s show, Maeda has “lost his Midas touch” for Rodgers at the top end of the pitch on this season’s evidence so far.

The Celtic forward missed two ‘big chances’, as many as Iheanacho, whilst playing on the right wing against Hibernian, per Sofascore, and earned a player rating of 6/10 from 67HailHail.

Unfortunately, missing ‘big chances’ has become a theme for the Japan international this season in the Premiership, as he has failed to kick on from his 33-goal campaign last term.

Appearances

34

6

Goals

16

1

Minutes per goal

160

446

Conversion rate

28%

13%

Big chances missed

17

4

As you can see in the table above, Maeda’s conversion rate has plummeted by 15% in the Premiership, which shows that he has been far too wasteful with his shots in the current season.

One possible explanation for his decline in form is the fact that he missed out on a summer move away from Parkhead. In his pre-Hibernian press conference, Rodgers suggested that the attacker may have a “subconscious” thing holding his performances back because of that failed move.

Maeda scored 33 goals last season and may have been excited to get a move to a major European league, but the Hoops were unable to source a replacement for him late on in the window, and staying at Parkhead may have been tough to take.

This is, of course, just speculation, but Rodgers’ comment about it being a “subconscious” issue does point towards that being a possible reason for the forward losing his Midas touch in front of goal.

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Hopefully, Maeda can get back on track and start to show the lethal efficiency in the final third that resulted in him winning the Premiership Player of the Year award last season.

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Full list of available overseas players for the remainder of IPL 2025, and the replacements for the unavailable players

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-20253:14

Which overseas players are returning, and for how long?

IPL 2025 resumes on May 17 after it was interrupted due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. Here’s the full list of overseas players who are available for the rest of the season, as well as the temporary replacements signed for those who are not coming back.Gujarat TitansPlayers availableJos Buttler (available until the league stage ends, to be replaced by Kusal Mendis for the playoffs), Kagiso Rabada (available until the league stage ends), Sherfane Rutherford, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Dasun Shanaka, Gerald CoetzeeFull squad hereRoyal Challengers BengaluruPlayers availableJacob Bethell (available only for two league-stage games), Lungi Ngidi (available until the league stage ends), Romario Shepherd, Phil Salt, Tim David, Liam Livingstone, Nuwan ThusharaUncertain playersJosh HazlewoodFull squad herePunjab KingsPlayers availableMitchell Owen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen (available until the league stage ends), Xavier Bartlett, Kyle Jamieson (temporary replacement for injured Lockie Ferguson)Uncertain playersJosh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron HardieFull squad hereMumbai IndiansPlayers availableWill Jacks (available until the league stage ends, set to be replaced by Jonny Bairstow for the playoffs), Ryan Rickelton (available until the league stage ends, set to be replaced by Richard Gleeson for the playoffs), Bevon Jacobs, Corbin Bosch (available until the league stage ends), Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Reece Topley, Mujeeb Ur RahmanFull squad hereDelhi CapitalsPlayers availableTristan Stubbs (available until the league stage ends), Faf du Plessis, Dushmantha Chameera, Sediqullah AtalPlayers not availableMitchell Starc, Jake Fraser-McGurk (replaced by Mustafizur Rahman, who will be available between May 18-24), Donovan FerreiraFull squad hereKolkata Knight RidersPlayers availableSunil Narine, Andre Russell, Quinton de Kock, Spencer Johnson, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich NortjePlayers not availableRovman Powell (has been replaced by Shivam Shukla), Moeen Ali.Full squad hereLucknow Super GiantsPlayers availableAiden Markram (available until the league stage ends), Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, David Miller, Matthew Breetzke, Will O’Rourke (replacement for injured Mayank Yadav)Players not availableShamar JosephFull squad hereSunrisers HyderabadPlayers availablePat Cummins, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Kamindu Mendis, Eshan MalingaPlayers not availableWiaan MulderFull squad hereRajasthan RoyalsPlayers availableShimron Hetmyer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh TheekshanaPlayers not availableJofra Archer, Nandre BurgerFull squad hereChennai Super KingsPlayers availableNoor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Dewald Brevis, Devon ConwayPlayers not availableJamie Overton, Sam Curran, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan EllisFull squad here

طمأن نادي برشلونة جماهيره بشأن حالة ثنائي الفريق قبل مباراة إلتشي، والتي سوف تلعب اليوم الأحد، ضمن بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

برشلونة يستضيف إلتشي مساء اليوم الأحد على ملعب مونتوجويك، وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة الحادية عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويسعى برشلونة إلى تحقيق الانتصار على إلتشي، من أجل التقدم أكثر في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، حيث يبتعد البلوجرانا الآن بفارق 8 نقاط كاملة عن ريال مدريد المتصدر.

وخسر برشلونة الأسبوع الماضي أمام ريال مدريد بهدفين مقابل هدف على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في كلاسيكو الدوري الإسباني، ويريد البارسا التعويض اليوم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. قائمة برشلونة لمباراة إلتشي في الدوري الإسباني.. عودة المصابين

وأعلن برشلونة عبر حسابه الرسمي في “تويتر”، أن داني أولمو وروبرت ليفاندوفسكي قد تواجدا بالفعل في قائمة الفريق لمواجهة إلتشي الليلة.

وأشار برشلونة، إلى أن أولمو بجانب ليفاندوفسكي قد تحصلا على التصريح الطبي للعب مباراة اليوم، حيث تعافى الثنائي بشكل كامل من إصابتهما والتي أبعدتهما عن الفريق خلال الفترة الماضية.

أولمو وليفاندوفسكي كانا قد أصيبا خلال فترة التوقف الدولي الأخير أثناء تواجدهما مع منتخب إسبانيا وبولندا، مما جعل برشلونة يفقد خدمات الثنائي.

وعانى برشلونة الأمرين من كثرة الإصابات هذا الموسم، حيث كان بيدري هو آخر الضحايا حيث سيغيب عن الملاعب لمدة تتراوح بين شهر ونصف إلى شهرين.

Manchester United flop Marcus Rashford has been hailed as Barcelona's best player as he lit up the Champions League again and led the Catalan giants to a thumping 6-1 win over Olympiacos on Tuesday. Rashford, deployed as a No.9 in the absence of Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski, delivered with a brace as the Spanish champions returned to winning ways in Europe.

• Rashford shines again for Barcelona

  Despite missing star names like Lewandowski, Torres and Raphinha in the starting lineup, Barcelona looked the more dominant side against Greek champions Olympiacos. Fermin Lopez opened the scoring for Barcelona before increasing the goals tally minutes before the half-time whistle. Eight minutes after the hour mark, Lamine Yamal joined the party as he netted the Blaugrana's third goal from a penalty. Rashford then chipped in with a brace in quick succession, while Lopez completed his hat-trick as the Catalan side registered a dominating 6-1 win.   

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• Rashford hailed as 'Barcelona's best player'

  A Manchester United fan named Darren wrote on X after Barcelona's domination: "Marcus Rashford has been Barcelona's best player since Raphinha got injured ngl."

  Another United fan, Okumagba Onakome added to Darren's comment as he wrote: "Rashford's time in Barcelona is obviously going to be a successful one. I hope they sign him permanently and pay us good money."

  A fan with the X handle @tosinmm posted: "Marcus Rashford thriving at Barcelona is so beautiful to see. Go ahead and shine."

  Another fan with the handle @speeds_c wrote: "Rashford with confidence is the best left winger in the world, there isn’t a better ball striker than him idc."

  A fan named Vartico saluted Rashford's fight to become a top player again as he wrote: "From being an outcast to becoming the face of Barcelona. Rashford never gave up." 

• Rashford deployed in new role

  After making a dream start to his journey with Barcelona, since completing a loan move from boyhood club United in the summer transfer window, Rashford has already earned Flick's trust. Under the German coach, he has rediscovered his game and has slowly established himself as a regular starter. The attacker has already recorded five goals and as many assists in 12 matches across all competitions for the Catalan club and has also earned a call back to the England national team.

  Ahead of the Olympiacos clash, Flick had mentioned that he fully trusts Rashford to fill in the No.9 position, as the Barca boss had stated: "Rashford is a good option as a No. 9, but he can also play as a No. 11. That's what we thought when we signed him: he can play as a No. 9 or No. 11, and it's great to have him in our team. He's improved a lot in recent weeks. He gives us a lot of positives, and of course, he can play as a No. 9."  

  After the Champions League clash on Tuesday, it is safe to say that the 27-year-old has further cemented his place in Flick's lineup as he proved his versatility in the attacking third. 

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  Barcelona ready for El Clasio test

  The Catalan side started October on a disappointing note as they suffered back-to-back losses against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and a 4-1 humiliation at the hands of Sevilla in La Liga. The reigning champions looked a bit out of form and rattled as their injury crisis deepened. However, the club are now back to their best and the win over Olympiacos will provide a massive boost to Flick's side, who now prepare to face arch-rivals Real Madrid in the season's first El Clasico on Sunday. Rashford will also aim to bring out his best in the first El Clasico of his professional career.