Marcus Rashford of Manchester United controls the ball in the course of 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 motion, Manchester United must look elsewhere for objectives at a pivotal stage of the season.
The membership’s main scorer will likely be sidelined for a “few games” with a muscle injury United mentioned Wednesday, inserting doubts over his availability for the FA Cup semifinal in opposition to Brighton on April 23.
He will miss the primary leg of the Europa League quarterfinal in opposition to Sevilla on Thursday however supervisor Erik ten Hag wouldn’t say how lengthy the ahead was anticipated to be out as his staff stays in rivalry to win two extra trophies this season and is difficult for Champions League qualification.
United already lifted the League Cup in February, with Rashford scoring within the 2-0 win in opposition to Newcastle at Wembley and no participant has performed greater than him to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in November.
He has scored a career-best 28 objectives this season, with 20 of these coming in 28 video games since he returned from the World Cup.
The downside for United has been discovering constant objectives from elsewhere within the staff.
Bruno Fernandes is the second highest scorer this season with 10, that means Ten Hag must hope different gamers can fill in whereas Rashford recovers.
The over-reliance on Rashford has underlined the necessity for extra firepower if Ten Hag is to steer the 20-time Premier League champions again to the summit of English soccer.
A top-class heart ahead is a precedence in the course of the summer season switch window, with Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen each linked. Striker Wout Weghorst has been a brief time period repair on a mortgage from Burnley, however the Netherlands worldwide has appeared wanting the required high quality with solely two objectives in 20 video games since becoming a member of in January.
Anthony Martial’s return from injury after a two-month absence is a well timed enhance.
The France ahead has impressed when he is been out there this season and scored his seventh purpose of the marketing campaign within the 2-0 win in opposition to Everton on Saturday. But his eight years at United have been disrupted by repeated accidents and he has made solely 17 look this season.
“The stats are telling you that the moment he is on the pitch, then the time he needs for a goal is really less (that others),” Ten Hag mentioned of Martial on Wednesday. “When he is in the team, I refer to games against Man City, against Liverpool when he’s in the team, we play our best football and have our best results as a team.
“No, we don’t have to force things but we are careful, of course.”
Ten Hag can also be hopeful Antony, who has scored seven objectives for United, can have an effect within the ultimate phases of the season.
The Brazil winger was a $95-million signing from Ajax in the summertime and has proven flashes of the standard that satisfied Ten Hag to carry him to Old Trafford.
“Of course we expect from front line players they are not only a threat but also they have effect in the final third and he has to work on that,” Ten Hag mentioned. “He is still a very young player, he can kill opponents.”
Rashford was damage late on in United’s win in opposition to Everton.
“Subsequent assessment of the injury suggested that Marcus will be unavailable for a few games, but is expected to be back for the season run-in,” United mentioned.
United performs Nottingham Forest within the league on Sunday earlier than video games in opposition to Sevilla within the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals and Brighton within the FA Cup semifinals subsequent week.
It shouldn’t be clear when Rashford will likely be out there once more.
“I can’t give more details because we don’t know. We have to see how the injury develops,” Ten Hag mentioned. “Of course it is a setback and he is disappointed, but he is not totally broke because he knows he will return quickly, so he’s optimistic and he has started straight on his recovery and rehab.”
Sevilla has turn out to be a specialist within the Europa League, profitable the competitors six instances between 2006-20.
“They gained the Europa League most of all golf equipment in Europe, so that may be a magnificent file so we’ve got to concentrate on it as a result of that’s their goal,” Ten Hag said. “We are sure 100 percent motivated to go again. If we want to beat them, we have to play our best football and everyone has to deliver their best performance.”
