Marcus Rashford has been recalled to Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United squad for the visit of Newcastle to Old Trafford, live on Monday Night Football.
Amorim has named the forward on the bench to face Eddie Howe’s side in Man Utd’s final game of 2024. When asked to explain the reason for his inclusion by Gary Neville, the Portuguese told Sky Sports: “Selection.
“We have a lot of players [out], so he’s in it. Like I said, every week I pick my players and he’s there to be picked. This time, he’s here. “
Rashford has not played since it replaced in the 56th minute of the 2-1 victory of Man Utd over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on December 12.
Since then, he has missed four games over the festive period – including the victory at Manchester City, as well as losses to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and against Bournemouth and Wolves in the Premier League.
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville at Old Trafford:
“The lack of objectives is a big problem. Having someone with that profile absolutely out of the team and absent almost in recent weeks was a question that Rubén Amorim was going to have until he brought him back. Tonight’s question is: Why did you bring him back?
“They don’t score many goals. Unfortunately they have suspensions and out of shape players, and they think they have strengthened in education in recent days, however, that is a big question for Amorim tonight.
“What kind of temperament will Marcus Rashford have?
Amorim in the past revealed that he had abandoned the movement for reasons of “selection” that the injury or disease, starting in the Etihad for the Manchester derby previously this month, while Alejandro Garnacho was not included in the FIT team of 20 men .
Asked to explain the resolve to forget Rashford and Garnacho, United manager Amorim told Sky Sports: “National team.
“We must evaluate everything: training, performance, game performance, commitment to teammates, pushing teammates up.
“Everything is at stake when we analyse and check to decide on the players, that’s why it’s my selection. It’s simple. I don’t need to send a message (in the locker room with that). It’s just an evaluation and they know it.
“The players are wise and that’s why everyone understands my resolution and I have to choose. It is simply an undeniable selection.
“Of course, the context is complicated: we have to win games and now we have a complicated scenario.
“But as I said, I pay attention to everything: the way you eat, the way you dress to play. Everything. I do my evaluation and then I have to decide. I have many players to play. And today I made my decision. “
Garnacho recalled on December 19 for the Caabao Cup scale in Spurs. Conversally, Rashford still absent and the foreigner of England would conduct an interview with the journalist Henry Winter in which he revealed that “ready for a new challenge. “
Amorim then questioned the player’s camp resolution after those public comments about his long career at Old Trafford.
“This is a tricky situation,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “I perceive that those players have a lot of other folks around them, making possible options that are not the player’s first idea.
“I am always here to help Marcus as another player. I have to do what I have to do. They chose to do the interview as it is not just Marcus. I understand that.
“As a coach, I care about functionality and how you train. The rest is more important for me and for the Club when the time comes.
“At the moment I focus on improving Marcus and we need a talented guy like Marcus. I forget the interview now and see what I see on the pitch.”
Amorim subsequently dropped Rashford from his team for a fourth successive game, but following another damaging defeat to Wolves at Molineux, the new boss has raised the possibility of having an effect on United’s final game of 2024.
Team to play Newcastle: Onana, De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez, Mazraoui, Casemiro, Eriksen, Dalot, Amad, Hojlund, Zirkzee.
Substitutes: Bayindir, Kukonki, Malacia, Yoro, Collyer, Mainoo, Antony, Garnacho, Rashford.