Manchester United have another problem to solve connected to forward Marcus Rashford.
Marcus Rashford was not part of the Manchester United matchday squad that faced Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round.
United officially claimed Rashford was ‘ill’, with Erik ten Hag saying after the game that the issue was an ‘internal matter’.
It followed reports via The Athletic that Rashford has been pictured in a Belfast nightclub last week.
Rashford not repeating Sancho incident
Marcus Rashford did one thing right after Manchester United’s match at Newport – he stayed absolutely silent.
The Jadon Sancho incident was inflamed by Sancho choosing to contradict his manager with an outburst on social media. This itself was a repeat of Anthony Martial criticising Ralf Rangnick on social media after he was left out of a squad.
Rashford thankfully chose to stay quiet, so far at least, not pouring gasoline onto a small fire.
This means United can continue to deal with the situation as they see fit.
Another headache for Manchester United
This whole situation is another messy one Manchester United find themselves in once again.
It is fair to ask why Marcus Rashford was permitted to travel to Belfast last week, or why he thought it was a smart choice, on a week where he should have been fully focused on preparing for a FA Cup fixture.
And that’s irrespective of whether he was in a nightclub – which would be another unwise choice.
Erik ten Hag is strict on discipline, Rashford knows this. So was he just foolhardy enough to think he would get away with it, or did he just not care?
As one of the highest paid players in the squad, Marcus Rashford must set an example, especially when his own form has been disappointing this season. The sad aspect is that he was just beginning to regain some form, before the break.
This week United travel to Wolves. It is a fixture where Rashford was dropped to the bench last season after lateness. He went on to score the winner.
If he is involved at Molineux this week, United will hope he make a similarly decisive impact.
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