Marcus Rashford travelled to Spain with Manchester United yesterday after training on the eve of the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla.
The 25-year-old pulled up holding his groin against Everton 11 days ago, with the club announcing he was expected to be out for a “few games”. Rashford missed last week’s 2-2 first-leg draw with Sevilla and Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League win against Nottingham Forest.
The England forward trained with his team-mates at United’s Carrington training headquarters and the club later confirmed he was part of the 21-man group making the trip to Spain. The squad also includes Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Marcel Sabitzer, who have been dealing with injury concerns of their own.
Bruno Fernandes is unavailable today as he serves a one-match European suspension. United said Scott McTominay has stayed at home due to injury, adding he is “expected to be out of action for a few more games”.
First-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are unavailable after picking up injuries in the first leg against Sevilla. Donny van de Beek and Alejandro Garnacho also remain sidelined by injury. England international Rashford, who has scored a career-high 28 goals this season, was injured in a 2-0 win over Everton on April 8.
United’s tie with Sevilla is in the balance after two late own goals conceded by United in the first leg at Old Trafford. The Red Devils, who lifted the League Cup earlier this season to end a six-year trophy drought, face Brighton on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Anthony Martial was shipped out on loan to Sevilla last season with his Manchester United career seemingly at an end, but the Frenchman has returned to prominence in time for a Europa League reunion with the Spanish club.
Martial will likely lead United’s attack on his return to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan with a place in the Europa League semi-finals on the line. Two late United own goals in the first leg at Old Trafford have left the tie against the Europa League specialists finely poised at 2-2. Martial played a major part as United shot into a 2-0 lead thanks to Marcel Sabitzer’s double inside the first 21 minutes.
But the Austrian midfielder could be one of a number of players unavailable to Erik ten Hag for the return leg, putting pressure on Martial to step up. Sabitzer pulled up with an injury in the warm-up prior to Sunday’s 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest. Injury problems have also minimised Martial’s impact this season and been the story of his United career.
The world’s most expensive teenager when he was signed from Monaco in 2015, the 27-year-old has never truly realised his potential despite scoring 86 goals for the club in 288 appearances. His time at Sevilla was even less fruitful.
Having been pushed down the pecking order by Cristiano Ronaldo’s return for a second spell at United, Martial sought first-team football in Spain, but scored just once in 12 appearances in the second half of last season. Ronaldo’s departure last year has given Martial a final chance to rekindle his career at Old Trafford.
But fitness problems have limited his impact to just 19 appearances in United’s gruelling 51-match campaign to this point. United boss ten Hag, though, has remained steadfast in his support as he desperately seeks a firing number nine. Rashford’s 28 goals - his best ever return in a single season - have papered over the cracks for United.
Marcus Rashford
