Where will Marcus Rashford's future go? This is a question that has been asked more and more frequently about the Manchester United striker in recent months.
And after being left out of the squad by coach Ruben Amorim in the dramatic derby against Manchester City, the 27-year-old's future has once again been in doubt.
The Portuguese tactician has tried to reduce the decision to leave Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of the squad by saying "next week, next match, new life" and emphasizing: "They will compete for a place in the squad if they play better than other players in all situations, both on and off the pitch."
Amorim's message is very clear: to get a starting position, a player must meet the requirements both on and off the pitch. But while Garnacho's absence was a surprise, Rashford's exclusion was not necessarily without reason.
The England striker has been at the centre of a number of disciplinary issues under Erik ten Hag. Those problems include being left out for forgetting before the match against Wolves in December 2022. In addition, Rashford was also left out of the squad for the match against Newport County in the FA Cup last season. The reason was that the player was absent from training after a night out in Belfast.
Amorim also hinted at his dissatisfaction with Rashford and Casemiro when they toured the US during the recent international break. The former Sporting boss believes that things would have been resolved differently if he had been responsible for deciding on the players' arrangement during their time away from the club.
In general, Rashford's career at Old Trafford has increasingly declined due to his lax lifestyle and lack of discipline. On the pitch, his unconvincing form for the "Red Devils" has also cost him a place at EURO 2024 with the "Three Lions".
Rashford has scored 7 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions this season, after contributing only 8 goals in 43 matches last season. With a four-year contract worth £325,000 a week signed in July 2023, finding a new destination will not be easy for the striker.
In fact, Rashford has two options: fight to regain form and support at Man United, or move to a new tournament, possibly Saudi Arabia. And whatever the option, if he fails to impress Amorim, Rashford's future will only get darker.
