Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has made it clear that Marcus Rashford must demonstrate a strong desire to play and raise his standards if he wishes to return to the squad. The forward has been out of favor since being last selected for United’s 2-1 win against Viktoria Plzen on December 12, with the manager citing “training reasons” for his absence. Two days later, Rashford expressed a desire for a “new challenge,” and since then, he has only made the match-day squad once, for a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle on December 30.
The relationship between Amorim and Rashford has continued to deteriorate. After a 1-0 victory over Fulham, Amorim stated that he would rather include his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach, Jorge Vital, on the bench than Rashford, given the forward’s lack of commitment in training. Reports have since emerged that the two are no longer on speaking terms.
With the transfer window nearing its end, Rashford’s hopes of securing a move remain uncertain. He has expressed interest in joining Barcelona on loan, but the Spanish club’s financial situation makes any potential deal challenging.
Ahead of United’s final Europa League group game against FCSB, Amorim addressed whether Rashford could still find a way back into the team if he remains at the club. The manager acknowledged Rashford’s talent and admitted the squad would be stronger with him involved but insisted that the player must change his approach.
“You can look at our team and imagine the profile of the players. Now imagine a talent like Rashford? Our team should be so much better with Rashford. But he has to change,” Amorim said. “If he changes, we are more than welcome to put in a talent like Rashford. And we need it.
“We have to set some standards, that’s all. We are waiting for Marcus, if he wants it really, really bad. You try to make it personal but it’s not personal. I have nothing against Marcus. I just have to make the same rules for everybody. For me, it’s so simple.”
Amorim was then asked if Rashford would be required to train separately from the squad, but he refused to elaborate further, reiterating that team selection remains his decision. He pointed out that other players, such as Casemiro, have also been left out for tactical reasons.
Meanwhile, United is close to finalizing a deal worth around €30 million for Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu. Speaking about the club’s approach to the transfer window, Amorim acknowledged the difficulties of making signings in January and emphasized the need to avoid past mistakes.
“This window is always really difficult, and we don’t want to make the mistakes of the past. We have to understand the situation of the club, a lot of things are changing. We have to be careful in this type of window, and you guys know the situation of the club at the moment, so it’s not easy.”
As United prepares to face FCSB, they must secure a victory to guarantee a place in the Europa League last 16.
