Marcus Rashford's Struggles at Manchester United
Marcus Rashford cut a lonely figure at Craven Cottage. Not just on the scoresheet, but in his whole demeanour.
The Manchester United forward has started four of the club’s five Premier League games since returning from loans at Aston Villa and Barcelona. He has played more than 400 minutes. He has not produced a single goal or assist.
For Michael Owen, watching on for Premier League Productions, that drought is only part of the story.
“Glum face” and a growing worry
On Sunday, in the 1-1 draw with Fulham, Owen’s focus kept drifting to Rashford on the left.
“On the left, Marcus Rashford has been probably the quietest of those attackers,” he said. “He was quiet again today in his body language, just the glum face. He just doesn’t seem to be loving his football which has been a permanent frustration with Marcus.”
The numbers tell one tale. The body language tells another. Owen’s concern sits squarely in the second category.
He spoke of a player who has everything in his locker yet looks weighed down.
“It does look like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and you just think how? Why? He’s living everybody’s dream,” Owen continued. “Surely there’s something behind the scenes that is making him look as if he’s not enjoying his football at the moment.”
Barcelona, the “last chance saloon”
Owen also revisited Rashford’s spell in Spain, a move he framed as a pivotal moment.
“Last chance saloon was Barcelona. I couldn’t believe his luck in getting a team like Barcelona,” he said. “He does reasonably well out there, but not well enough for them to keep him and then they end up spending fortunes to replace him by buying Anthony Gordon. So, it wasn’t all perfect. It wasn’t all rosy despite any spin that people put on it.”
That verdict strips away any romantic gloss. Barcelona was an opportunity, not a triumph. Rashford did enough to stay in the conversation, not enough to stay in Catalonia.
Now he is back at Old Trafford, and the scrutiny has followed him home.
A vulnerable place in United’s attack
Competition for places in United’s front line is tightening. Rashford, Owen believes, is the one looking over his shoulder.
“And then he comes back to Manchester United. He’s done okay, but only okay,” Owen said. “And he needs to probably do a little bit better in that front three because his is the position in the attack that would be vulnerable.”
The potential reshuffle is already mapped out in Owen’s mind.
“There’s a bit of a demand for Benjamin Sesko to come back in and start, injury permitting of course. But if that happens, Cunha is going to go on the left and Rashford would be the weak link in that attack as things stand.”
Weak link. For a player once seen as the face of United’s future, it is a brutal label. But it reflects the current reality: others are pushing, and Rashford is not producing.
Injury setback and a looming challenge
As if the form issues were not enough, Rashford now has a physical problem to confront. A hip issue forced him off in the second half at Craven Cottage, cutting short another muted outing.
The timing is harsh. The injury rules him out of England’s upcoming Nations League fixtures against Spain, Czechia, and Croatia over the next three weeks. No chance to reset on the international stage. No quick route to rhythm.
For Manchester United, the task is clear and urgent. They must find a way to reignite a forward who once carried games on his shoulders but now looks burdened by them.
When Rashford returns to full fitness, the question will not just be whether he is ready to play. It will be whether he is ready to take his place back at all.
