Manchester United made two signings in this summer’s transfer window that will certainly improve their chances to win the Premier League this season – center-back Raphaël Varane coming from Real Madrid, and Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. Their arrival, along with Pogba’s spectacular return to form certainly improve the online betting odds of the Red Devils winning their 21st title but there is something that keeps them at bay: the team is missing forward Marcus Rashford who has been sidelined by an older shoulder injury. And he is not expected to return until at least this October.
Marcus Rashford
Rashford joined Manchester United in 2005, at the age of eight, coming from the Fletcher Moss Rangers’ youth team. Upon graduating, he joined the first team in 2015 and never left Old Trafford: he played in close to 180 league games, scored more than 50 goals, and won the FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Community Shield and Europa League with the club.
Rashford represented England in a total of 46 matches, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2020 European Championship.
Injured
Late last year, in a match against Everton, Rashford suffered a shoulder injury. He continued to play after it, but the injury left a mark on his performance: he was only able to play one full match for a month. He fully returned to play after a short recovery but the injury remained both concerning and annoying.
His long-running injury was finally fixed with surgery that he underwent a few weeks ago. This, unfortunately, also means that he won’t be able to play for quite some time. After the procedure, he took to social media to reassure everyone that he is OK, eager to recover and return to the turf.
In his pre-match interview ahead of Manchester United’s meeting with Southampton last week, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provided an update on his condition: “He seemed very happy with the surgery. He’s working in the gym so we see him every day and he’ll be chomping at the bit when it gets nearer to the time when he can come back. Of course, any time you’re off with an injury is a hard time, but it’s also time to reflect and find yourself again. That’s what we hope is going to happen to Marcus,” he said.
It is currently unknown how long it will take for Rashford to return to play after his surgery – some sources say it’s unlikely for him to play before October. But the club, and especially the manager Solskjaer doesn’t want to rush him. “Of course, any time you’re off with an injury is a hard time but it’s also time to reflect and find yourself again”, he said. “That’s what we hope is going to happen to Marcus”.
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Explanation: player statistics (a/b c)
a - games played this season
b - goals scored
c - team position (d - defender, m - midfielder, f - forward, g - goalkeeper).
