Manchester United secured a 5-4 win on penalties over bitter rivals Leeds United on Wednesday, 12 August, in their fifth pre-season match. The game saw Michael Carrick ease many of his first team stars, who had recently joined training, into action.
However, one of the significant absentees was Marcus Rashford, who had only teamed up with the squad a few days earlier and was not deemed fit enough to feature against the Whites. The Englishman’s future, meanwhile, remains up in the air after Barcelona opted against triggering a buy option at the end of a season-long loan deal.
Marcus Rashford Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaLiga | 32 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 3 | - | 1,762' |
| UEFA Champions League | 11 | 5 | 5 | 4 | - | - | 579' |
| Copa del Rey | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 249' |
| Supercopa | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 32' |
| Total | 49 | 26 | 14 | 14 | 3 | - | 2,622' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
There has been isolated interest in his signature from elsewhere, including the Middle East and Turkey. However, a previous report relayed by The Peoples Person suggests that the player is likely to stay at the Theatre of Dreams beyond the summer.
The 28 year old spent the last 18 months out on loan, first at Aston Villa and then at Camp Nou, following a public fallout with former head coach Ruben Amorim. Rashford was expected to permanently cut ties with the club this year, but a departure has failed to materialise.
Carrick, however, insisted after the Leeds game that the former academy graduate remains firmly in his plans for the new season. Ex-United defender John O’Shea has now provided his opinion on the saga.
A simple conversation will suffice
Speaking to ITV ahead of Wednesday’s game, as cited by the Manchester Evening News, O’Shea insisted that it will be a fairly simple conversation between Carrick and Rashford regarding the latter’s reintegration into the squad. He said: “Yeah, listen, it’s straightforward. I think it’ll be an honest conversation, straight up.”
“Do you want to stay? If you do, great, let’s see what you’ve got again, and then start afresh. And listen, you know the fans, there’ll be question marks thinking, what are we doing, type of thing.”
“But if he goes and struts his stuff at Old Trafford straight away, a lot will be forgiven, I think. [There’s] Still some questions to answer as well.”
Rashford rose through the ranks at Old Trafford and has appeared 426 times for the senior side, registering 138 goals and 79 assists. He is under contract until 2028.
Carrick right man to guide Rashford
Fellow pundit and former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown agreed with O’Shea and added that Carrick is the right man to help Rashford get back to his best. He said: “See, all those players we mentioned, we always have to come back down to Marcus Rashford.”
“The reason it does, John, is because, as you know, he’s got everything, hasn’t he? He can change games. He’s electric, he’s got the pace. If you can get the best out of him, then it’d be a great sign.”
“I think Michael Carrick is a great person to go and do that. He’s going to have to work, he’s going to have to earn it to get into the team, but imagine if he was firing this season.”
Carrick shared the pitch with Rashford 48 times during his playing career with United. The former midfielder also oversaw the English forward’s steady rise as part of the backroom staff under ex-United managers Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Final Thoughts
Carrick’s background knowledge of the club and man management skills could help script Rashford’s redemption at Old Trafford. United still need a left-forward this summer and their former academy graduate could turn out to be their secret weapon in the 2026/27 season.
Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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