After missing the last four matches, Marcus Rashford is back for Manchester United to close out 2024.
Rashford made Manchester United's matchday squad ahead of the Red Devils' Premier League fixture against Newcastle United. Although the winger did not make Ruben Amorim's XI, he is on the bench for what could be his first involvement since he played against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Dec. 12.
Rashford's inclusion in the squad comes after Amorim dropped the England international, along with Alejandro Garnacho, for the Manchester derby on Dec. 15. Both players could only watch as the Red Devils secured a thrilling 1–2 victory at the Etihad. Garnacho since returned to the team, but Rashford stayed on the outside looking in until now.
"Selection and we have a lot of players outside. As I said every week I choose the players for the opponent and he was available for selection. This time he is here," Amorim said regarding Rashford's reintroduction.
"At the beginning I made changes because of the training and now it is to win games, always I just try to win games. The team are in the same level so I try to use the characteristics for the opponent."
Marcus Rashford has arrived at Old Trafford ahead of tonight's match between Manchester United and Newcastle 🔴 pic.twitter.com/Nyz58X2ACN
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 30, 2024
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If Rashford features off the bench against Newcastle, the 27-year-old will log his first minutes in over two weeks. Not only did he miss out against Manchester City, but he also did not play in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals against Tottenham Hotspur or against Bournemouth and Wolves in the Premier League.
Rashford looked to be slowly finding his form under his new manager before the latest drama unfolded. The 27-year-old scored three goals in his four Premier League appearances under Amorim, tripling his haul on the season in the span of three weeks. However, the Portuguese manager said he must "think about what is the best for the team" moving forward.
United are currently on a three-match losing streak and sit in 14th place in the Premier League standings. The Red Devils are in desperate need of three points to end the year on a high, but Amorim's men, even with Rashford back in the squad, have a tough task ahead if they want to secure a positive result against a Newcastle side unbeaten in its last four games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Marcus Rashford Returns to Manchester United's Squad vs. Newcastle United.
