Manchester United
Maguire Voices Dressing-Room Support for Rashford as United Weigh Their Options
Maguire says United’s squad want Rashford to stay, while Carrick sees him as a possible difference-maker.
Manchester United’s players have made their position on Marcus Rashford clear, with Harry Maguire saying the squad want him to remain at the club for the 2026/27 season.
Maguire admitted that the transfer window is still open, but stressed that Rashford is viewed inside the dressing room as someone who can improve the team. Speaking after United’s final preseason friendly, he said: “Obviously the transfer window is still open,” Maguire conceded when speaking to assembled media after United’s final preseason friendly . “As players, we hope he [Rashford] stays because if he does, he is a big asset to have. He can improve us for sure. You saw when he came on, he threatened the backline really well. He could have scored. He’s a huge threat.
“I’ve played with Marcus for numerous years and I know that playing against him and playing with him in training is going to help us.”
That view is not limited to the players. Michael Carrick has already signalled that he sees Rashford as a possible difference-maker for a side looking to build on last season’s third-place finish. The broader football case is straightforward enough: United are short of natural left wingers.
Rashford had been pushed aside during Amorim’s difficult spell, with Alejandro Garnacho later joining him in exile as the Portuguese coach preferred inside forwards in a 3-4-2-1 shape. Carrick has since returned United to a 4-2-3-1, which places greater value on the sort of wide player Rashford represents.
Carrick had already asked for a new left winger before the summer window, although the club are prioritising a left back and a third central midfielder before any further attacking addition. In that context, Rashford’s return would answer a clear tactical need.
Even though he was handed United’s No. 9 shirt briefly, Rashford remains a natural left winger. His pace stands out, and last season he was the fastest player across the whole of La Liga. He is not a specialist dribbler, but his direct running and movement behind defences offer United a useful alternative.
His Barcelona spell also showed a creative side. He produced more assists and was among the division’s leading chance creators. The underlying theme, though, is that his output depends heavily on his surroundings. Rashford has said his best season in 2022-23 came from being in a “better headspace.”
Manchester United
Why Rashford’s Second United Spell Has Stalled
Rashford’s United return has been held back by injury, rust and an attack lacking rhythm.
Marcus Rashford’s return to Manchester United was always going to be judged in difficult circumstances, but the early evidence of his second spell has been muted. Multiple reports have pointed to a secret injury as a key reason the winger has struggled to find rhythm.
There was no grand unveiling when the academy graduate came back to his boyhood club. By the time he made his low-key second debut at Old Trafford against Ipswich Town, the backdrop was already shaped by his failed attempt to complete the permanent move to Barcelona he had openly wanted.
Since then, the numbers have not helped his case. Rashford is still without a goal or assist for United this season, and that victory over Ipswich remains the only match he has featured in and won. Michael Carrick did not use him at all in United’s search for a winner at Elland Road on Sunday.
The wider picture is important, though. Rashford has been dealing with a hip injury since the World Cup, according to Sky News, and continues to receive daily treatment. The problem forced him to withdraw from the autumn internationals, and since those fixtures he has managed only a single minute of Premier League football.
“He had the slight injury where he had to pull out of England, and we’ve managed that a little bit,” Carrick said.
For a player whose game depends so heavily on pace and power, even a minor physical setback can have an effect that extends beyond the body. Rashford’s direct style remains one of his strongest qualities, but his output has suffered, and his underlying numbers in front of goal are down on his prolific season at Barcelona.
Even so, the issue is not his alone. United’s attack has also lacked consistency around him. Bryan Mbeumo is the only player to score in more than one Premier League match so far, while Amad Diallo is still waiting for his first meaningful impact. Benjamin Šeško has been hindered by injury, Matheus Cunha has dropped to the bench, and Bruno Fernandes has not produced at the level United need from him.
Rashford has taken 17 shots in all competitions with an xG of 1.92, a return that would usually have brought goals. Only three Premier League players have had more attempts without scoring. Carrick still sees enough to remain patient.
“Marcus has done a lot of good things,” Carrick said. “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.”
Leeds United
Man Utd’s Leeds Test Leaves More Doubts Than Certainty
United left Elland Road with a reshaped system, a forced change, and more doubts than answers after Leeds.
Sir Alex Ferguson once reflected on the difficulty of visiting Leeds United, writing: “The crowd invariably give us the impression that a lynching would be too good for us.” On this occasion, Manchester United did not deliver any sense of calm under Carrick. Instead, they left Elland Road with a performance that raised as many issues as it settled.
Lisandro Martínez drew attention for his criticism of Manchester United’s technical director Jason Wilcox, and his verdict on Carrick was similarly guarded. “He does his best,” the World Cup winner said.
“Every season is different. You can’t stay with what you did last season. The teams know how you play, they know every detail, if you don’t change next season [it] is a big problem.”
Carrick responded with a bold tactical adjustment. United moved away from their usual 4-2-3-1 and set up in a fluid system that changed with the phase of play and Leeds’ positioning. Out of possession, they shifted into a back five, with Amad Diallo tracking Gabriel Gudmundsson’s advances. With no natural left winger or center forward in the starting XI, Carrick used Bryan Mbeumo alongside Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans in a narrow front three. That front line combined neatly for the opener, as Tielemans released Amad before continuing his run and providing the first-time pass for Mbeumo to finish.
Martínez’s presence was also significant at the back. Carrick ignored the backlash from the defender’s midweek outburst and kept him in the side, and the decision was quickly justified. Before the interval, Leeds were restricted to four shots and only 0.25 xG, with Harry Maguire and Martínez maintaining control. But Martínez went off at half-time after appearing to pick up a knock, and the change soon altered the game.
Noussair Mazraoui came on and was placed to the left of Maguire, while Leny Yoro continued in his hybrid right-back and center-back role. Six minutes later, Yoro’s response to difficult circumstances became even more important after Mazraoui conceded a corner and was beaten in the air by Tarik Muharemović, who helped set up Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s equaliser.
United’s midweek trip to Madrid had already left its mark, but Yoro produced a far more encouraging response to his first senior red card. Asked to handle a demanding role in a hostile setting, he repeatedly got across to clear danger as Leeds increased the pressure.
Bruno Fernandes, though, remains short of his best. Since his hat trick against Ipswich Town at the end of August, he has produced a goal or assist in only one of his next eight appearances for Manchester United, and that came against Azerbaijan upstarts Sabah FK.
Leeds United
Carrick Keeps Martínez in Manchester United XI Despite Midweek Fallout
Carrick explains Martínez’s selection against Leeds after the defender’s midweek comments and apology.
Michael Carrick has brushed aside the noise around Lisandro Martínez’s recent outburst, explaining why the defender remains in Manchester United’s starting line-up for Sunday’s meeting with Leeds United.
The manager said the club had already dealt with the matter and had moved on, even though Martínez’s comments only came a few days ago and prompted a later apology. Carrick made clear that selection decisions were now being driven by preparation for the contest rather than the controversy surrounding the player.
“What’s done is done and we’ve moved on,” Carrick sternly told Sky Sports, pointing toward Martínez’s belated apology, which was the second clarification of his damning statement. “So we have done that and we’ve prepared the team. We know their threats, their strengths, we know that. We’ve got some as well, so we’ll get the balance right.”
Carrick also struck an upbeat note about United’s prospects, despite the team’s fragile form. He has continued to insist that his side are still “in the mix” for both Premier League and Champions League honours, and he sounded similarly positive about the trip.
“It’s a challenging place to come, of course it is, but it’s a fantastic game to be involved with and we’re in a good place to come and attack it and look forward to it,” Carrick claimed. “You’ve got to bring a little bit of everything, and none more so than today. The atmosphere and the intensity that naturally is generated in a game like this is something that brings it out in us as well.”
The team sheet reflects that stance. Martínez starts in a back four alongside Harry Maguire, while Senne Lammens is in goal and Diogo Dalot also features in defence. United’s bench includes Karl Darlow, Harry Amass, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Mason Mount, Shea Lacey, Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee.
Even with Carrick talking up reconciliation, the reality appears practical. United remain short of defensive alternatives who can step in for Martínez and partner Maguire, making the arrangement as much about necessity as forgiveness.
