Joan Laporta ‘almost convinced’ Barcelona will register stars for La Liga debut

Barcelona President Joan Laporta is confident that they will be able to call on star signings Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford for their La Liga debut against RCD Mallorca. The Blaugrana still have seven players unregistered going into their first game as things stand.

Manager Hansi Flick admitted that he was not happy that the registrations had not been resolved for yet another season at Barcelona. It has been talked of as a certainty that Garcia will be registered following Marc-Andre ter Stegen being confirmed as a long-term absence. Meanwhile the word on Friday was that Rashford was less likely to be available.

As Barcelona’s players presumably rested ahead their first game of the season, Laoprta was in celebratory mode, as he attended an evening with the Barcelona supporters clubs from the Balaeric Islands ahead of the games. During the course of the evening, Laporta spoke on the subject of player registrations, as quoted by Diario AS.

“I have to tell you that I am almost convinced, almost convinced, that tomorrow, if Hansi wants, Joan Garcia and Rashford will be able to play.”

“This isn’t a simple, easy job. It’s a job that has one premise: first, love Barca and then fight until the end. This is part of our competitive essence, and this allows us to be more than just a club.”

He would go on to say that he believed that not only were on the up, but that this Barcelona were set up for success long-term.

In theory, Barcelona should be able to activate the injury rule to register Garcia using some of ter Stegen’s salary limit space. Equally a renewal for Jules Kounde, in which his contract may aid them in their salary limit calculations, the €11m sale of 50% of Francisco Trincao’s rights to Sporting CP, and the €7m bank guarantee from the board, should all be added to their salary limit imminently if not already.

It would not be the first time that Barcelona have gotten their calculations wrong though, or briefed that they would be able to register players before they are. Last season Dani Olmo and Pau Victor missed games due to registration issues, a theme of Barcelona’s last four summers.