With Marcus Rashford preparing to rejoin Manchester United, three players might have to readjust to new playing positions.
Over the past few weeks, almost all reliable sources in the English media agreed that Rashford is ‘increasingly likely’ to return to Carrington this summer.
The 28-year-old spent the last 18 months on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona, but couldn’t secure a permanent transfer.
Dorgo, Yoro & Mazraoui could play in new as Marcus Rashford is back at United
With the World Cup now behind us, Rashford is expected to join United’s summer camp after a three-week vacation, barring any developments on the market.
This has also been confirmed by The Athletic’s latest Tranfer DealSheet. The source insists that the veto Ruben Amorim had placed on the England international has been revoked, as Michael Carrick is willing to welcome back his former teammate, whom he had also coached in the past when he was part of Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.
Rashford can interpret multiple positions in the final third, but he’s most effective on the left wing.
Appearances 47
Goals 14
Assists 14
(Rashford’s Barcelona Stats)
Therefore, The Athletic expects the head coach to make some reshuffling to accommodate the returning attacker, beginning with Patrick Dorgu.
The young Dane was highly effective as a left winger under Carrick, scoring against Man City, Arsenal, and Brighton. However, he might have to return to his original role as a left-back, where Luke Shaw is in dire need of reinforcement.
The source confirms Man Utd’s interest in young Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, but INEOS are unlikely to spend money on the flank roles if Rashford isn’t sold.
Hence, Carrick will have to resort to internal solutions. In addition to Dorgu, Noussair Mazraoui can also add depth to the left-back role. The Moroccan is originally a right-back, but Saturday’s friendly against Wrexham suggested that Leny Yoro could be an option for that role, perhaps serving as a backup for Diogo Dalot when required.
Versatility could be key for Man United this season
Luckily for Carrick, several of his players are capable of filling various roles across the pitch, giving him extra solutions, even with limited personnel.
The source didn’t even mention Matheus Cunha, who was Man Utd’s main option on the left wing last season. The Brazilian acted as Brazil’s centre-forward in the summer, so Rashford’s arrival could allow him to play in a more central role when required, adding depth behind Benjamin Sesko.
All in all, United appear to be a more competitive squad with Rashford’s addition, at least if he can replicate his 2022/23 heroics, or even some of last season’s performances with Barcelona
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been passionately following Man United for over 20 years. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Utd Report, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali has been a Featured Writer on other websites including Juve FC, and The Cult of Calcio, and Stretty News.
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