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Marcus Rashford can't escape his Manchester United past as the England forward prepares to square off with a familiar face. The Barcelona loanee will return to action in La Liga on Sunday when Hansi Flick's side host Real Oviedo, hoping to improve his standing as doubts supposedly emerge over his future in Catalonia.

And that encounter teases the prospect of seeing Rashford go up against former team-mate Eric Bailly, who has been on the books in Asturias since last summer. The Ivorian completed a free transfer to Oviedo after his contract with Villarreal expired and is currently in a dogfight to keep the club among Spain's top tier.

Oviedo currently sit bottom of La Liga, while Rashford's Barca are one point ahead of Real Madrid at the summit. And the Blaugrana will expect to enforce their will upon the relegation favourites, who who are seven points from safety.

Bailly, 31, has played a fairly minimal role in their return to the top flight and made just five league appearances to far this season. However, there's a risk he may not be a part of manager Guillermo Almada's squad after missing their last two games.

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Even if he isn't named as part of Oviedo's squad, Bailly may still make an appearance in the stands for one of the biggest games in their season. Rashford, meanwhile, is aiming to rediscover his best Barca form after grabbing just one goal and one assist in their last seven league outings.

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Bailly, who made 113 appearances across six seasons playing at Old Trafford, holds Rashford in high regard. And the defender named the Englishman as one of the players who "blew him away" following his arrival at United.

"I knew a lot of great players in Manchester," he said after joining Marseille on loan in 2022. "But if I have to talk about everyone who impressed me, we're never going to finish this interview! There was incredible talent, both old and young. Someone like Marcus Rashford really blew me away."

Bailly played the full 90 minutes when Oviedo hosted Barca back in September. The hosts ran out as 3-1 victors on the day, and the veteran centre-back was carded in injury time.

Rashford scored Barca's consolation goal during a 2-1 defeat to Real Sociedad last time out in La Liga. He also assisted in a 4-2 Champions League win over Slavia Prague on Wednesday, but reports have suggested the Catalans have reservations over his future.

It had looked like his form earlier this season would be enough for Barcelona to trigger the £26million purchase option in his loan deal. The Athletic reported bosses are concerned regarding the efficacy of his defensive work, a key demand of attacking players in Flick's system.

Rashford ranks high in his willingness to run and press opposition defences while without the ball. However, the figures indicate he's on the lower end of the scale when it comes to successful tackles and dispossessions.

He'll look to prove otherwise this weekend, and Bailly could be among his direct obstacles in the event both play at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere. Rashford could in turn have a hand in sending his old colleague closer to relegation, while Bailly hopes to help Oviedo claim an almighty upset and revive their hopes of survival.