There are a number factors behind Marcus Rashford’s wait for ignition during his second spell at Manchester United, but multiple reports have revealed how a secret injury has been holding the winger back.
Rashford left Manchester United through the back door and used the same hidden entrance to make his way back to Old Trafford.
There was no fanfare, no club statement, no corny social media video when the academy graduate returned to his boyhood club. Chiefly because this was a consequence of his failure to secure the permanent move to Barcelona which he had been so openly pining after.
By the time Rashford made his understated second debut at Old Trafford against Ipswich Town, he was the subject of the first chant. Rarely has there been cause for the song to be taken up again.
Rashford is yet to score or assist a goal in United colors this season. That win over Ipswich remains the only victory he has played in. Michael Carrick didn’t even give his former teammate a minute while United forlornly chased after a winner at Elland Road on Sunday.
Even without any buildup, Rashford’s return has still managed to underwhelm. In a way, it’s one of the few impressive aspects of his second United spell.
Secret World Cup Injury
Context is key when judging a soccer player. Like the flapping webbed feet of a swan hidden beneath the surface, so much goes on out of sight compared to the small proportion of what the world sees.
Unbeknownst to the wider public, Rashford has been nursing a hip injury since the World Cup, per Sky News. The winger continues to receive daily treatment on an ailment that forced him to skip the fall set of internationals. Since those fixtures, Rashford has been afforded just a single minute of Premier League action.
“He had the slight injury where he had to pull out of England, and we’ve managed that a little bit,” Carrick sheepishly admitted.
For a player whose game is chiefly based upon his physical gifts, principally being faster and stronger than so many of the defenders he faces, any injury can be detrimental, be that its actual physical impact or the psychological handicap of not being able to trust your body.
Rashford Is a Symptom Rather Than the Cause
Rashford may still be waiting for his first direct goal contribution, but it’s not as though his teammates have exactly been deconstructing the rest of the division. Bryan Mbeumo is the only United player to score in more than one Premier League match thus far, while Amad Diallo is also waiting for his first moment of meaningful impact.
Benjamin Šeško has been hampered by injury and Matheus Cunha has joined Rashford on the bench in Carrick’s latest tactical reshuffle. The most telling disappointment has been Bruno Fernandes.
Since nabbing a hat trick against newly promoted Ipswich, Fernandes’s only goal or assist has come against a Sabah FK side managed by a former coach at Manchester United Soccer Schools. Without the heartbeat of the side’s attack, everyone else is going to struggle. Fernandes created an unrivaled 136 chances last season, 89 more than any other United player. This term, he has only created three more than Rashford himself.
In the categories where Rashford has to rely upon the production and proficiency of others, there has been a drop-off. His underlying numbers in front of goal have demonstrably dipped compared to his prolific season at Barcelona. However, in the singleminded pursuit of driving toward the net, the direct runner still ranks as one of the most penetrative carriers of the ball in the division. Rashford is a symptom, rather than the cause, of United’s wider malaise.
Dumb Luck
“Marcus has done a lot of good things,” Carrick has been keen to stress, with some justification.
Rashford has racked up 17 shots across all competitions, amassing an xG of 1.92. In most other spells, he would be sitting on two goals rather than a big fat zero. Only three Premier League players have taken more shots than Rashford this season without scoring a goal.
“He’s doing some good things, and it’s not quite getting that break, putting himself in good positions and having some good opportunities,” Carrick insisted. “He had the one the other night where maybe he’d feel he could have done better with. He’s in there to make a difference.
“If you keep doing the right things, you get the rewards in the end. As long as he keeps doing that, he’ll be O.K.”
Fortune is an all too overlooked factor in this sport. Rashford won’t always been denied by a stunning reflex save from an inspired goalkeeper and his teammates (probably) won’t continue to squander the chances he’s created.
Fortunately for those at Old Trafford, this is the exact scenario which Rashord relishes. “Every single time I’ve been down, physically or mentally,” he once mused, “I always feel like that’s when I turn it around and play my best football.”
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