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| Marcus Rashford of Manchester United celebrates following the team’s victory in the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England. |
Marcus Rashford left the Snapdragon Stadium unaided despite picking up an injury during Manchester United’s 3-2 friendly victory over Real Betis.
The United forward netted a penalty on 18 minutes but was taken off at the beginning of the second half. Rashford limped off after receiving medical attention and although it seemed to be less severe as he left the stadium post-match, his fitness will be a concern for United fans, especially considering recent injuries to Leny Yoro and Rasmus Hojlund ahead of their Premier League campaign.
Yoro, who joined this summer for $67m (£59m/€62m) from Lille, is expected to be out for three months after breaking a metatarsal in last week’s friendly against Arsenal. Meanwhile, Hojlund could miss six weeks after pulling his hamstring in the same match.
Last season, United were hit by a whopping 66 individual injury setbacks, leading to questions about the club’s ability to manage player fitness. And any absence for Rashford, who United had been hoping would be able to get back to his 2022/23 season form following a down-year last term, would further deplete their attacking options.
With Hojlund’s injury, $45m (£36m/€42.5m) summer signing Joshua Zrizkee, who has yet to make his United debut in pre-season, is the only fit natural striker in the senior United squad. The Dutchman has not yet joined his teammates in the US, instead undergoing individual training at Carrington following a break after Euro 2024.
Rashford, despite being less effective, has the potential to lead the line, while Amad Diallo – who also found the net against Betis – has experience in the role. In light of Hojlund’s setback, Erik ten Hag opted to deploy Jadon Sancho as a false nine on Wednesday.
Both Hojlund and Yoro will miss the Community Shield season opener against Manchester City on Saturday, August 10, with the latter not anticipated to return until October. Hojlund is also expected to miss the first three matches of the Premier League season.
They conclude their pre-season US tour with a clash against Liverpool on this weekend in South Carolina, before heading to Wembley for the Community Shield. The club have yet to provide an update on Rashford’s status and his availability for either match.
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