Marcus Rashford running out of time to prove himself under Ralf Rangnick

When Marcus Rashford is on form, he can be unplayable, but the 24-year-old is currently struggling to give off his best on the pitch.

The England international missed the start of the season due to surgery. He was expected to hit the ground running after getting a proper rest post-Euro 2020. However, he has been a pale shadow of the player who tore opposition defences apart, and hit double figures in goals in the previous four seasons.

Rashford has found the net just five times this season for Manchester United, and his overall play has been disappointing. He currently looks like a player who has his head elsewhere.

Marcus Rashford’s attitude has been off

Marcus Rashford’s current situation is similar to that of Jadon Sancho when the latter first joined the Red Devils from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

The difference, though, is that despite his early struggles, Sancho was still trying in every game, and always kept his head up. Rashford’s attitude, though, has been the complete opposite.

He’s currently playing as if he doesn’t care, and it shows in his decision-making. He shoots when a pass is a better option, and decides to run into a sea of bodies when he can use the help of a teammate.

At 24, Rashford is nearing his peak, and this is when he should be taking his game to the next level. He has rather regressed, and that should be a huge source of concern for both player and club.

Rashford could drop to the bench

Mason Greenwood’s suspension and Anthony Martial’s loan move to Sevilla means Rashford has had enough opportunities to play this season. However, the rise of Anthony Elanga means Rashford could soon drop to the bench if his form doesn’t improve anytime soon.

"He (Rashford) is definitely not injured. We have spoken a lot about Marcus in the last couple of weeks. I am pretty sure he is not happy with his performance right now,” Rangnick said, as quoted by the BBC.

"Right now he is trying to find his best possible shape and performance, and we just try to give him helping hands with everything we can," said Rangnick.

The manager continued:

"We show him video footage, and speak with him regularly. In training he is in top form, that's why I decided to play him. Now it's about having that transformation from training performance to the competition in the league. This is the next step he has to take.”

Marcus Rashford is running out of time to prove himself under Rangnick. The longer he plays poorly, the more likely he'll lose his position in the team.