Marcus Rashford of Manchester United controls the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton FC at Old Trafford on April 08, 2023 in Manchester, England. , Photo Credit: Getty Images
With Marcus Rashford out of action, Manchester United need to look elsewhere for goals at the crucial stage of the season.
United said on Wednesday that the club’s leading scorer would be sidelined for “a few matches” due to a hamstring injury, casting doubt on his availability for the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton on April 23.
He will miss Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Sevilla but manager Erik ten Haag did not say how long the forward was expected to be out as his side look to win two more trophies this season. League qualification is challenging for the champions.
United had already lifted the League Cup in February, Rashford scored in a 2–0 win against Newcastle at Wembley and no player has done more to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo in November Is.
He has scored a career-best 28 goals this season, 20 of which have come in 28 games since returning from the World Cup.
The problem for United has been the constant finding of goals elsewhere in the team.
Bruno Fernandes is the second highest scorer this season with 10, meaning Ten Haag will have to hope other players can fill in for Rashford when he recovers.
The over-reliance on Rashford has underlined the need for more firepower if Ten Haag is to lead the 20-time Premier League champions back to the pinnacle of English football.
With Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen both linked, a top-class center forward remains a priority during the summer transfer window. Striker Wout Weghorst has been a short-term improvement on loan from Burnley, but with just two goals in 20 games since joining in January, the Netherlands international has looked to fall short of the quality required.
Anthony Martial returning from injury after a two-month absence is a timely boost.
The France forward has impressed when he has been available this season and scored his seventh goal of the campaign in a 2-0 win against Everton on Saturday. But his eight years at United have been hampered by recurring injuries and he has made only 17 appearances this season.
Ten Haag said of Martial on Wednesday, “The statistics are telling you that the moment he is on the pitch, he needs a really short time to score a goal.” “When he is in the team, I refer to the games against Man City, against Liverpool when he is in the team, we play our best football and we have our best results as a team.
“No, we don’t have to force things but we are definitely careful.”
Ten Haag is also hoping Antony, who has scored seven goals for United, can make an impact in the closing stages of the season.
The Brazilian winger was a $95 million signing from Ajax in the summer and has shown glimpses of the quality that convinced Ten Haag to bring him to Old Trafford.
“Obviously we expect the players in the front row to not only be a threat but also an influence in the final third and they have to work on that,” Ten Haag said. “He is still a very young player, he can kill opponents.”
Rashford suffered an injury late on in United’s win against Everton.
United said, “Post-injury assessment suggested Marcus would be unavailable for some matches, but is expected to return for the season run-in.”
United play Nottingham Forest in the league on Sunday, Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final second leg and Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final next week.
It is not clear when Rashford will be available again.
“I can’t give more details because we don’t know. We have to see how the injury develops,” Ten Haag said. “Obviously it’s a blow and he’s disappointed, but he’s not completely broken because he knows he’ll be back quickly, so he’s optimistic and has started straight away on his recovery and rehab.”
Sevilla has become a specialist in the Europa League, winning the competition six times between 2006–2002.
“He’s won the Europa League with most clubs in Europe, so it’s a great record so we have to be aware of that because it’s his target,” Ten Haag said. “We’re sure 100 per cent motivated to go again. If we want to beat them, we’ve got to play our best football and everyone’s got to be at their best.”