Marcus Rashford's Dramatic Return to Manchester United
Marcus Rashford is back in the Manchester United spotlight – and the timing could hardly be more dramatic.
Michael Carrick has named the winger in his travelling squad to face AC Milan this afternoon in Wroclaw, Poland, as United round off their pre-season schedule. On paper, it is a friendly. Given the man in the opposite dugout, it feels like anything but.
Ruben Amorim, now in charge at the San Siro, oversaw one of the most turbulent chapters of Rashford’s United career. Their relationship at Old Trafford collapsed so badly that it appeared to have ended the 28-year-old’s time at the club for good.
The flashpoint came around the Manchester derby in December 2024. Amorim dropped Rashford from the squad and then went a step further, banishing him from first-team training. From that moment, the writing looked to be on the wall.
By January, Rashford had gone. United sanctioned a loan move to Aston Villa for the remainder of the season, a short-term escape from a situation that had turned toxic.
When he returned to Old Trafford that summer, things did not soften. Rashford was placed in a so‑called “Bomb Squad” group and quickly shipped out again, this time to Barcelona on a season-long loan. While he tried to rebuild in Spain, the landscape shifted back in Manchester. Amorim was sacked and replaced by Carrick, the former United midfielder stepping in to reset the club’s direction.
Rashford seemed destined to make Barcelona his permanent home. The Catalan side held a £26m buy option and his exit felt inevitable. Instead, Barca walked away from the deal and turned to Anthony Gordon, leaving Rashford’s future open once more.
That decision has dragged him back into United’s orbit. Following the World Cup, he returned to the club and has been back around the squad, spending this week in Dublin. He did not feature against Leeds, but Carrick has now taken a clear step by including him in the group travelling to face Milan.
Supporters, it seems, are ready to see him again.
Asked by MEN Sport whether Rashford should play against AC Milan on Saturday, United fans delivered a resounding answer. Of the 2,799 votes cast at the time of writing, 84 per cent said “Yes”. Only 13 per cent felt he should not be involved, with three per cent unsure.
It is not just Rashford revisiting old scars with Amorim. Kobbie Mainoo, who also endured a difficult spell under the Portuguese coach, has been named in the travelling party as well. There is intrigue at the other end of the age scale too, with teenage forward JJ Gabriel handed another chance to impress alongside the senior players.
For Rashford, though, this afternoon in Wroclaw offers something more personal: a first real step towards a new chapter at United, played out in front of the manager who once froze him out and a fanbase that clearly still wants him on the pitch.
