Tension as Man United star suffers injury setback
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has cast doubt on Marcus Rashford’s chances of playing for England at the European Championship.
Rashford, 22, sustained a double stress fracture to the back after coming on in the FA Cup third round win over Wolves on January 15 and could be sidelined for the rest of the season.
Solskjaer revealed a scan on Rashford’s back had shown his injury was much more severe than anticipated and the United manager insists Rashford will not be included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad if he does not play for United before the end of the season. England begin their Euros campaign against the Czech Republic on June 14 at Wembley and have up until 24 hours before that game to decide on whether to have Rashford in their squad.
“I would hope he’s playing this season,” Solskjaer said. “But it’ll just be touch and go towards the end, so hopefully we get through this tournament and prolong the season.
“It takes time, I’m not a doctor, but I was hoping he would recover quicker than it actually looks like he’s going to be out for. Another few months [out], definitely. I would hope he plays before [the Euros] but we’re not sure and if he’s not fit enough he won’t go.
“He had a scan and it was maybe more severe, that fracture, than what we hoped for and expected, he felt fine the few days before that. And I’ve never had anatomy in school, so I didn’t know it just takes that time to recover.
“But when it heals he’ll be stronger for it, so it’s important we don’t rush him and we won’t do that.”
United’s win over Chelsea on Monday night has taken them to within three points of Chelsea in the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot, and Chelsea host fifth-placed Tottenham on Saturday lunchtime.
Manchester City are appealing their two-year ban from the Champions League but, if they are unsuccessful, United could return to the competition if they finish fifth in the Premier League. Winning the Europa League would also take United back into the Champions League.
United sounding resigned to the prospect of Marcus Rashford not playing again this season #mufc https://t.co/58a4uznzcQ
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) February 19, 2020
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“At the moment, we’re talking about this tournament and we want to go through,” Solskjaer added at his pre-match press conference ahead of the round-of-32 first leg with Club Brugge. “We dream about winning this tournament, that would also give us a chance if we go far.
“But we have to improve, we have to get better, we have to be more consistent and if we get the results we’ve got a chance to be in the top four.”