Marcus Rashford's future at Manchester United remains uncertain following his move to Barcelona
Marcus Rashford seemed destined to leave Manchester United when Ruben Amorim surprised many by including him in his squad to face Newcastle United in December 2024. However, it turned out to be a brief comeback for the striker, who ultimately couldn't regain his place in the manager's plans.
The England star moved to Aston Villa on loan two months later and has since been flourishing at Barcelona following another temporary transfer last summer. Rashford, who is competing to start against Newcastle in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, has found his form again since leaving Old Trafford.
The 28-year-old netted the first United goal of Amorim's tenure back in November 2024 but only made a further five appearances under the Portuguese coach before being dropped from the team. The attention surrounding his previous exclusions made Rashford's return against Newcastle more eye-catching, prompting club legend Gary Neville to question Amorim's decision.
"A lack of goals is a big issue. Having someone with that profile out of the team completely and chucked away almost for the last few weeks was always a question that Ruben Amorim was going to get until he brought him back," Neville told Sky Sports. "The question tonight is, why have you brought him back? It may be quite obvious.
"They're not scoring a lot of goals. They've obviously got suspensions and players out of form and maybe think that he's bucked up in training in the last few days but it's a big question for Amorim tonight. Why has he brought him back now?"
He added: "What sort of mood is Marcus Rashford going to be in? How are the crowd going to be with him? It's questions that need answering but it's not ideal."
Several of Neville's questions remained unanswered as Rashford stayed on the bench while United endured a 2-0 home defeat. It transpired that the striker had only been included in the squad because of an injury crisis.
"We have a lot of players [out] so he's in," Amorim said of his decision to include Rashford. "Like I've said, every week I choose my players and he was there to be chosen. This time, he is here."
Rashford had been omitted from the previous three Premier League matchday squads and was not named in the next four before his recall against Newcastle. He finished the campaign with Villa, netting four goals and contributing six assists in 17 appearances.
The United loanee has thrived at Barcelona since his arrival in the summer and is now preparing for a Champions League knockout tie against Newcastle, whom he netted twice against during the league phase. Barcelona possess the option to make his switch permanent for £26million and Rashford has made his intentions clear that he wants to remain at the Catalan club.
"[I want to stay for] as many [seasons] as possible. We will see," he told TNT Sports in October. "I have to focus on trying to do my job and trying to help the team in whichever way I can."
Discussing his future with ESPN in the same month, Rashford said: "I'm enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player, it is an honour. The main focus is to win football matches, this is why I joined this club, and it's what the club demands."