Home » Fans say Marcus Rashford’s shoulder surgery decision is ‘farcical’

Fans say Marcus Rashford’s shoulder surgery decision is ‘farcical’

by Red Billy

The news that Marcus Rashford could be out of action until the end of October has angered Manchester United fans.

Rashford played through most of 2020/21 with a shoulder injury and opted to take part in Euro 2020 with England before addressing the problem.

This turned out to be a questionable decision as the star was barely used by Gareth Southgate and it would now appear that the knock-on effect will be felt by United.

‘The Manchester United and England forward underwent scans on Tuesday on a muscle tear in his left shoulder ,’ reports The Telegraph’s James Ducker.

‘Although an operation is not considered a necessity at this stage because the tear is not expected to worsen, Rashford is concerned that the problem has not got better over time and that his movement will continue to be inhibited if he does not have surgery.

‘Rashford would like to have the surgery immediately but that it is unlikely to happen until the end of the month, an unfortunate delay.

‘The 23-year-old could be facing up to 12 weeks on the sidelines in total.’

Ducker’s report also hinted at mismanagement of the player by United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

‘Rashford has been encouraged not to rush into a decision over surgery and is now due to go on holiday for a fortnight but it is thought the player feels an operation to correct the problem will be in his and United and England’s best longer-term interests.

‘At its most painful, particularly later in games when the swelling became more severe, the shoulder issue restricted his mobility, including his ability to jump for and hold up the ball, and he was seldom given any chance to rest by Solskjaer.

‘It was a similar situation the previous season when Rashford was played despite having a single stress fracture in his back and then aggravated the problem in an FA Cup tie against Wolves, with scans subsequently revealing a double stress fracture. Ian Wright, the former Arsenal and England striker, accused Solskjaer of putting “himself above Marcus Rashford’s health”.’

United fans reacted with a mixture of support and frustration at the decisions that have been made.

‘Someone at United should have pulled him out of the Euros, clearly wasn’t fit for the last few months of the season. Ultimately points to a lack of leadership at the club,’ said one fan.

Other comments included:

‘Why didn’t he drop out the Euros to have the surgery quicker and be ready for the beginning of the season? You’re not fully fit so what was the point in going Euro’s anyway…’ said another.

‘It’s been obvious for the entire season that he desperately needs the surgery and time off or else his body will never recover. I’m excited for his return once he has recovered from surgery. A great man who transcends the game.’

‘@GarethSouthgate if you had told Marcus he wouldn’t have played much we at @ManUtd could have had him ready for the start of the season. Took too many players with knocks yet you had a fully fit @JesseLingard.’

‘Not sure why he went to the Euros given he hardly played! This one is on Marcus and Gareth, doesn’t seem like the smartest decision!’

‘What a farcical situation. Could be 6 weeks into his rehab by now. Blame lies with Rashford and his people around him. He’s sacrificed a good portion of the new season to basically be a bench warmer.’

‘He needs the rest, recovery and most importantly a break from football – look after yourself Marcus.’

If Rashford is unable to return until the end of October as reported, he will miss the Red Devils first eight Premier League games and first three Champions League matches. He will also miss five World Cup qualifiers for England.

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