MAYBE Manchester United will get the real Marcus Rashford back.
The evidence from this pre-season game against Real Betis suggests so.
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They can only hope that the challenge that left him limping in the 61st minute of this game is nothing serious.
He appeared to be in pain, stopping twice as he walked towards the tunnel. A sad end to a great night for him.
Rashford was buzzing, appearing to enjoy the ball at his feet once again.
The 26-year-old even spoke to coach Erik ten Hag during the game.
The two barely exchanged a word in the second half of last season.
It came after the player partied until the early hours of the morning in Belfast, a day he was supposed to be training ahead of the FA Cup game at Newport last January.
He called in sick, Ten Hag later found out about the past and was furious.
If Ten Hag hadn’t lacked numbers, Rashford might even have been sidelined for a considerable period.
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As it was, his form did not require a consistent place in the first team as the season progressed. He would also be dropped from England’s Euro squad.
Having recorded a career-best 30 goals last season, he scored just eight in the last campaign.
On nights like this one in San Diego you wonder why he was so lost last season.
His focus certainly seemed to move away from football.
Seeing him in tears in front of United fans after a fine display in that triumphant FA Cup final showed, however, how much this club still means to him.
He has medals from his time at the club – two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League – but when he spoke this week it was clear he has his sights set on bigger prizes.
Rashford said: “I still dream of winning big trophies, the Premier League and the Champions League with Man United. So hopefully we can do that.”
For now, it’s just about moving up in the Premier League after a club-record eighth-place finish last season.
Back to the ways of scoring goals
They will need Rashford’s goals to do that, especially with Rasmus Hojlund missing the first four games with a hamstring injury.
The arrival of Joshua Zirkzee will help, but United need goals from all of the top four.
They were in good form in front of goal in this game.
After Iker Losada gave Betis a 15th-minute lead at the Snapdragon Stadium, it was Rashford who equalized from the penalty spot just two minutes later.
Amad Diallo won and what a performance the 22 year old had too.
A constant threat, he scored a shot to put United ahead in the 25th minute, using excellent control to meet Harry Amass’s cross before firing the ball home.
There were three in the 31st minute. Amad appeared to have won a corner, but Rashford went beyond the far post to return the ball to Casemiro.
Betis recovered the goal in the 61st minute, after a header from Diego Llorente.
Now the anxious wait for news about Rashford…
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
