Rio Ferdinand has claimed Marcus Rashford doesn’t deserve a place in the upcoming England squad.
Rashford is considering his future at Manchester United having been left out of the starting line-up for Sunday’s derby against Manchester City. The England international started on the bench at the Etihad with Ralf Rangnick opting to play Bruno Fernandes further forward.
Rashford has started just two of United’s last 11 Premier League games and has been struggling for form since returning from injury earlier in the season. The 24-year-old is reluctant to leave his boyhood club, but with his contract expiring next year, he will have to weigh up his options.
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Part of the concern for Rashford comes from the impact his lack of game time will have on his England career, particularly in a World Cup year. Gareth Southgate is set to name his squad soon for this month’s friendlies against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast.
Given his current form, Ferdinand has serious doubts about whether there will be a place in Southgate's squad for Rashford. And with plenty of competition in his position, his spot for the tournament in Qatar at the end of the year is far from assured.
“The England squad’s going to get announced soon,” Ferdinand told the Vibe With FIVE podcast. “Do you think Marcus Rashford is going to be in the England squad?
“On form, he’s got a hard job getting in. You look at all the other players in those positions, Harvey Barnes scored at the weekend. You can’t tell me that all those players’ ceilings are higher than Rashford’s.”
Ferdinand added: “I love the way he [Rashford] plays. He’s a good kid. I don’t mind you missing chances, I’ll take that all day long because you’re getting in the right place, you’re just not finishing them.
“It’s the other stuff. When Marcus used to go out on that pitch, it used to be electrifying, he used to light the place up. That same energy that I saw then, I can’t see now. He looks unhappy, that’s what I don’t like.”
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