Marcus Rashford issued with scathing verdict by Spanish press after horror Barcelona miss

Marcus Rashford has had a dreadful introduction to life at Barcelona after delivering what many have labelled "the miss of the season." The Manchester United loanee scored his first goal for Barcelona during their impressive 5-0 pre-season triumph over Daegu last week - but any momentum was swiftly undone in Sunday's equally dominant 5-0 win over Como, where he astonishingly squandered a straightforward opportunity from eight yards out.

After being played through by a sharp pass from Lamine Yamal, Rashford skilfully jinked past the keeper and a defender to create a simple scoring chance with the goal wide open. But instead of slotting home into an empty net, his left-footed shot drifted painfully off target. He was subbed off minutes later. With Robert Lewandowski injured, Rashford has a golden opportunity to demonstrate to manager Hansi Flick that he is not just a backup player. But his glaring miss against Como raised serious concerns about his quality, confidence, and suitability for the No. 9 role.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo insisted that "it is clear he [Rashford] is not a natural No. 9." AS went even further, condemning his "strange performance" marred by "notable errors in execution, especially in his attempt to provide continuity in the play with his back to goal."

Speaking on Spanish radio show El Larguero, pundit Jordi Marti remarked Rashford "left me cold," venting: "The expectations I had of him in that No. 9 position have left me cold. But I've seen him do better on the wing; when he takes on the ball, he does so with power and accurate assists."

"But today was an important day for him. Lewandowski will be out for the next few weeks, and these are the games he needs to take advantage of."

After falling out with United boss Ruben Amorim, Rashford - who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa - openly expressed his wish to leave the club this summer, with Barcelona his preferred destination.

Initially, the Catalan giants pursued Nico Williams and Luiz Diaz, but when those transfers collapsed, they turned to Rashford. A loan deal was swiftly completed, including a £30million option for Barcelona to secure the 27-year-old permanently after the season.

Rashford's versatility was a key factor in the transfer, with Flick appreciating his ability to operate both centrally and on the wings. Yet, he may have to wait before making his official debut as Barcelona have not registered him yet.

The delay in registration is linked to La Liga's Financial Fair Play constraints, which regularly cause difficulties for the club. To register new players and renew contracts, Barcelona need to clear sufficient wage space.

A major development came with resolving Marc-Andre ter Stegen's situation. The German goalkeeper's back injury and initial refusal to confirm a long-term absence had complicated registering new goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Ter Stegen's recent agreement to sign a medical certificate has now allowed Garcia's registration, but Rashford's remains unresolved.

Barcelona have until the end of August to complete all player registrations for the season. Therefore, Rashford could still be added to the squad after their La Liga opener against Mallorca this weekend, even if he doesn't appear right away.