Gary Neville suggests Marcus Rashford’s time at Manchester United might be ending soon, following the forward’s absence from the squad for a third consecutive game. Rashford wasn’t included in the team for Sunday’s Premier League match against Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old was also left out of the squad for the previous two games: the 2-1 win against Manchester City and the 4-3 League Cup quarter-final defeat to Tottenham. Both matches were under the management of Ruben Amorim.
Rashford, who came through the Manchester United youth system, recently expressed his desire for a new challenge. He spoke with journalist Henry Winter, stating his readiness for “a new challenge and the next steps”. Neville, a former United and England player, believes a separation between Rashford and the club is likely.
“It is not really big team news any more,”
Neville, now a football pundit, commented on Sky Sports before the Bournemouth game, highlighting the recurring nature of Rashford’s omissions from the squad. He expressed surprise at Rashford’s initial exclusion the previous week.
“It is getting to the point where you leave him out three games on the bounce something really is obviously going wrong or has gone wrong and it is not looking great for both Marcus’s future at the club or Manchester United keeping him either.”
Neville feels the situation indicates a problem and doesn’t bode well for either Rashford or Manchester United.
“I suspect it is getting to that point in the journey where it has got an inevitable ending.”
Neville believes it’s nearing a point where Rashford’s departure from the club appears unavoidable.
“It is a distraction for the manager. It does become obvious that he probably has to leave and that the club want him to leave — it will probably work for both parties.”
He pointed out that such situations can be disruptive for the manager and suggested a move could be beneficial for both Rashford and the club. Neville cited examples of players who have thrived after leaving United.
“There are good examples as well of players who have struggled at United…Jadon Sancho has gone to Chelsea and is doing better, Scott McTominay wasn’t struggling but he left to go to Napoli and he is doing well, so Marcus might think it is the right thing for him as well.”
Amorim explained Rashford’s absence from the previous two games as a “selection” decision. He offered the same explanation for Sunday’s match against Bournemouth.
“It is my decision and it always will be.”
The Manchester United manager reaffirmed his authority in squad selection.
“It is selection. I want to see the best of my players and I try different things with different players, so that is my focus.”
Amorim emphasized his focus on optimizing player performance and exploring different tactical approaches.
