If Marcus Rashford ever needed his deteriorating situation with Manchester United and England to be put into sharp focus, he surely got that in the space of 24 hours this weekend.
On Friday, the 24-year-old saw England’s route to World Cup glory in Qatar mapped out following the draw that gave Gareth Southgate’s team a favourable path to the latter stages of the competition. Having been overlooked for England’s squad for the recent friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, Rashford will know he now has to fight his way back into Southgate’s plans before the World Cup starts in November. Having been a central figure in the team which reached the semifinals at Russia 2018, he will undoubtedly picture himself being back in the fold before the squad fly out to Qatar.
– Weekend review: What has Rangnick achieved at United?
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
But by Saturday evening, Qatar would have been the furthest thing from Rashford’s mind after his faltering United career hit another low point. Interim manager Ralf Rangnick named him among the substitutes against Leicester City, choosing instead to start with a team that did not include a single striker. With Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out due to illness and Edinson Cavani declaring himself unfit, Rangnick selected Bruno Fernandes as a false No. 9 and had Rashford on the bench for a game that United really needed to win to keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish.
United could only draw 1-1 at Old Trafford and Rashford, a 55th-minute substitute for midfielder Scott McTominay, was unable to make a positive impact after being sent on by Rangnick to help push the team to victory. During his 35 minutes on the pitch, Rashford touched the ball just 14 times and failed to register a shot, assist or tackle. It was a similar situation in the Manchester derby on March 6, with Rashford only coming off the bench after 64 minutes despite being the only recognised striker…
Source : espn
