Marcus Rashford’s Omission from Manchester United Squad Sparks Discussion on Future

Luke Edwards of The Telegraph suggests that Marcus Rashford’s exclusion from the Manchester United squad is “almost like a last resort” by Ruben Amorim to reignite the player’s drive. Amorim made significant decisions to entirely remove both Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the squad, attributing these exclusions to a perceived lack of discipline or a decline in their professional standards. Prior to the match, Amorim conveyed to the media his expectations, stating: “For me it’s important; the performance in training, the performance in games, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with your team-mates, the way you push your team-mates.” Consequently, despite both players participating in training at Carrington on Sunday morning, neither was included in the matchday squad that traveled to the Etihad. On the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast, Edwards commented: “It is just a different manager trying a different tactic to try and get a tune out of Rashford,” adding, “I think he’s been lost for a long time now. There are concerns about his lifestyle and whether he is as focused on football as he should be.” He further stated: “United were very keen to try and sell him in the summer, but I think it is sad that we have lost him as a player.” Edwards continued, suggesting: “Maybe this is Amorim’s way of trying to do something, almost like a last resort because it is pretty desperate. I really hope Rashford can turn it around because I don’t like anyone thinking at 27-years-old that their career at the highest level is over.” He concluded by advising: “But at the moment, the best thing he can probably do is to move clubs and have a fresh start somewhere else. He needs to close the book on his United chapter and try and re-ignite himself.” Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison further stated: “Of course Amorim is sending a message to him. You have to train how you play, so I think his decision [to leave him out] was spot on.” Morrison elaborated: “If you are not training well enough and you have downed tools, then it is disrespectful. You always train like it is your last training session.”