Manchester United have already found Marcus Rashford’s replacement – and he’s going to be much better

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Marcus Rashford’s time at Manchester United could be up in an anti-climactic manner as the fallout from the Manchester Derby continues in a dramatic manner.

After Ruben Amorim dropped Rashford and Garnacho from the squad altogether for the marquee game, there were always expected to be ripples.

However, not many would have foreseen Rashford saying he’s ready for a new challenge in the immediate aftermath of the game, which probably settles his future path.

It comes after Ruben Amorim said that the next game is a new life for the dropped players so it’s not a good look for the player.

However, football moves quickly and the focus will quickly turn to Marcus Rashford’s replacement at Old Trafford. Fortunately, thanks to Ineos’ planning, United already found Rashford’s replacement in the form of the crown jewel of their academy last summer.

Chido Obi is Manchester United’s perfect Marcus Rashford replacement

When Ruben Amorim arrived at Manchester United, Marcus Rashford’s future was already under question because there was no clear tactical fit for the player.

He couldn’t play as an outright centre-forward, there were no wingers in a back three system, his work rate wouldn’t allow him to play as a wing-back and his game in close spaces was not refined enough to play as a No 10.

Sure enough, that is exactly what transpired as Rashford played as a striker in one game, as an attacking midfielder in a few others but didn’t stand out in any.

With United open to selling Rashford now, they have a more seamless fit in the form of Chido Obi waiting in the academy who can be unleashed with a single tactical tweak.

Ineos’ marquee academy recruit in the summer has started at United the same way he left Arsenal, scoring goals and bucketloads of them.

Despite missing a full summer of training and then acclimatising to new surroundings and teammates, he has scored five and assisted one in five U18 games.

United have just two senior strikers in the first-team squad this season- Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. Of that crop, Zirkzee is almost a midfielder in a striker’s body.

There is a clear path for Chido Obi’s promotion to the first team by moving Zirkzee to the No 10 role and making Chido Obi the backup to Hojlund.

Chido Obi has already been seen with the U21s this season and his physicality and domination at the U18s level is such that the coaches at United might have no choice but to fast-track him to keep him challenged.

Chido Obi should make first-team debut this season

Amorim hasn’t shied away from talking up the academy graduates this season, with Godwill Kukonki earning praise from the manager despite being just 16.

Kukonki has been a part of the matchday squad already so Amorim has laid out clearly that age is no barrier for him if the player applies himself well.

Chido Obi was brought from under the noses of European elites because he saw a pathway to the first-team at Carrington.

The manager who would have promised that pathway to him at the time is no longer here but in Amorim, the new Man Utd manager thinks along the same lines for youth players.

If Rashford does find himself out of United in January, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Chido Obi more involved with the first team this season, with a debut not out of the question.

Amorim already knows how to make up the first-team numbers by promoting youth instead of seeking the shiny new toy in the transfer window from his time with Sporting.