Manchester United are facing a challenging start to the new season as several key players have suffered injuries during their pre-season fixtures.

Most notably, new summer signing Leny Yoro, who United signed last month for around £59m, has been confirmed to be out injured for three months with a suspected broken metatarsal. Yoro sustained the injury during the friendly against Arsenal.

Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund also suffered a hamstring injury in the same match against Arsenal.

Manchester United suffer two more injures

To add to their woes, The Mirror reports that United suffered two more injuries in their friendly against Real Betis on Thursday. Marcus Rashford, who scored from the spot in the 18th minute, was forced off just before the hour mark with an ankle injury.

Brazilian winger Antony also came off hobbling after just 23 minutes of coming on in the second half.

With just a few weeks left until the start of the new season, these injuries have left United worried. Reports suggest that the club might have to enter the market for a new centre-back once again to cope with Yoro’s injury.

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Manchester United’s pre-season so far

The Red Devils have had an inconsistent pre-season. Their first game ended in a shock 1-0 defeat to Norwegian side Rosenborg. They bounced back with a 2-0 win over Rangers but then lost 2-1 to Arsenal, followed by a 3-2 win over Betis.

Manager Erik ten Hag will be deeply concerned about the fitness issues plaguing his squad as he prepares for the upcoming season. The pre-season injuries to key players are a significant setback and could force tactical adjustments and potential emergency signings to ensure the team remains competitive.

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Erik ten Hag has revealed he has confidence in Marcus Rashford and believes he’s capable of repeating his goalscoring form of two seasons ago.

United are currently on their pre-season tour of America, of which Rashford is part of the travelling party, and they will face off against Arsenal on Saturday.

The Red Devils have already had two pre-season friendlies against Norwegian side Rosenborg, which ended in defeat and Rangers which they won 2-0.

Ten Hag backs Rashford

United have strengthened their forward options with the signing of striker Joshua Zirkzee, and there’s a chance they could look to bolster their attacking ranks before the end of the window.

The Old Trafford outfit have a number of attacking options at their disposal, and youngster Amad Diallo could be set for a more prominent role this coming season, whilst Jadon Sancho has seemingly been reintegrated into the first team although he could still leave the club.

One player United will be hoping for much more from next season is Rashford, who endured the worst season of his career in the 2023/2024 campaign as he managed just eight goals in 30 appearances in all competitions, which resulted in him missing out on the England squad for Euro 2024.

That was in stark contract to the 2022/2023 campaign which saw the 26-year-old score 30 goals in all competitions and be rewarded with a lucrative new contract.

Ahead of the Arsenal game in Los Angeles Ten Hag has backed Rashford to repeat his goalscoring form of two years ago.

“Rashford can only improve himself,” Ten Hag said.

“He is capable, he has scored so many goals, and at a relatively young age, so he is capable of it.

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“I’m confident and have 100% belief he can do the same as he did two years ago.”

Rashford clearly has the ability and it’s now down to the Englishman to work hard and get back to his best form, and if he can get anywhere near that he will be a key player for United as they look to improve on last season’s eighth place finish.

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Man United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted that he is “confident” that Marcus Rashford will rediscover his 2022/23 form at Old Trafford ahead of the new season. 

The winger experienced an underwhelming campaign at the Manchester club last season as the Red Devils underperformed as a whole. The 26-year-old produced just eight goals and five assists across 43 matches as fans of the Manchester club grew more and more frustrated with the payer as the season developed.

This resulted in Rashford missing out on a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 and Man United supporters will hope that it motivates the player ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Speaking about Rashford during United’s pre-season preparations, Ten Hag has admitted that he is confident that the Englishman will reproduce the levels of performance he showed two years ago.

“I am confident, I trust Marcus,” the Dutch coach said via Fabrizio Romano. “I 100% believe he can do what he did two years ago in terms of goals and performances.”

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Man United need Marcus Rashford to perform at his best this season

The 2024/25 is a huge one for Man United and Erik ten Hag as the Red Devils need to show signs of improvement and qualify for the Champions League at the very least.

A Marcus Rashford in top form will go a long way in achieving this and that was evident during the 2022/23 campaign. The winger featured in 56 matches for the Manchester club that season, producing an incredible 30 goals alongside a further 10 assists.

The 26-year-old was full of confidence and performing at the level Man United needed him to. The Premier League giants require Rashford to hit those heights again and Ten Hag seems to think he can.

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According to Sky Sports, Marcus Rashford was caught speeding at 104 mph in his £560,000 Rolls Royce and has since been banned from driving.

The 26-year-old Manchester United striker was apprehended by undercover police while operating the 564-hp Cullinan Blue Shadow on the M60 freeway.

The Man United attacker has been fined £1,666, given a six-month disqualification, ordered to pay £120 in court costs, and imposed a £66 surcharge, according to HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

The football player had crashed another of his Rolls Royce vehicles just a few months before the December offense.

Rashford admitted to the policeman who pulled him over that he was speeding because a car had been following him at a set of lights, as per METRO.

If the player believed he was being followed, the policeman advised him to contact 999.

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Rashford, however, said, “It happens all the time and he would be calling us every day.”

The Man United attacker has made it a habit of himself to get involved in controversies off the pitch.

Last season, he was dropped from the team by Man United manager Erik ten Hag for not turning up to training and going for a party in Ireland.

Man United star has had a difficult time recently

The attacker has struggled in the last twelve months of his career as along with off the pitch controversies, he has not only lost his goal scoring form but also lost his place in the England team.

He missed out on a spot for the Euros this summer and without him, England performed well and reached the final of the tournament.

Rashford would be hoping to put all the noise behind him now and focus on the new season which promises to be an exciting one for Man United following the arrival of new signings Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro.

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Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has sent a classy and heartfelt message to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka after he scored the equaliser and then a penalty in the shoot-out victory over Switzerland in last night’s Euro 2024 quarter-final clash.

England vs Netherlands tickets

Sancho is not with the England squad this summer despite some fine form during his time on loan at Borussia Dortmund in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, but he’s clearly cheering the team on while he enjoys his summer holidays.

See below as Sancho singled out Saka for praise, in what was clearly an emotional moment for him as he recalled how he, Saka and Marcus Rashford all suffered horrific racist abuse after missing penalties for England in the final of Euro 2020…

Saka showed great courage to step up and score for his country at a big moment, with that miss from three years ago likely to have been at the back of his mind.

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England will now take on the Netherlands in the semi-finals of this summer’s Euros, while France and Spain meet in the other game.

We’ve not really seen the best of Gareth Southgate’s side yet, but there’s clearly a strong mentality there after late comebacks against Switzerland and Slovakia.

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This article was originally published on the Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Jonathan Johnson’s exclusive transfer articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Good time for PSG to sell Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United

Manuel Ugarte has been discussed as a transfer target for Manchester United and it’s an interesting story after he only arrived at PSG last summer to great fanfare. He joined from Sporting Lisbon for a big price tag and started well, though he then dropped off quite significantly, especially after PSG’s Champions League adventure started.

I think the biggest issue for Ugarte at PSG was that he was signed before Luis Enrique’s arrival as manager was properly finalised. Enrique simply doesn’t play in a style that has space for someone of Ugarte’s profile. He was not signed off by Enrique, so when he inherited the squad, as much as others at PSG thought he would be a good signing, the Uruguayan has ended up being one of a number of signings from last summer to have not quite bedded in as well as many would have expected.

So, Ugarte to United seems to have gathered pace quite significantly and it’s not too surprising. I think Ugarte is tailor-made for the Premier League and I think the drop-off from Casemiro in the season just gone means it’s normal United would be looking for a profile like that to replace him.

It’s also a good time for PSG to sell Ugarte because he’s in good form for the Uruguay national team at Copa America, so the fact that he’s performing well at an international tournament means his value won’t drop as drastically as it may have done as he’s not been that important at club level in the second half of last season. So it makes sense for PSG, United, and for the player.

A lot of the interest in Ugarte prior to his move to PSG was from clubs in Italy, and it would probably now be quite difficult to find as many Serie A teams who can pay the same sort of fee and wages that United can, so that would have been difficult for PSG in terms of extracting the best possible value from him this summer.

It’s a critical moment as well because if this drags on and Ugarte finds himself out of favour with Enrique at the start of the new season with PSG, it will become that much harder for them to command the kind of fee they’ll want, and perhaps even half what they paid for him 12 months ago. If he goes now, PSG won’t make as much of a loss.

Hard to see potential for PSG-United swap deals

There’s also been talk of PSG and United discussing a few other players as well as Ugarte, but it’s hard to see anyone in Erik ten Hag’s squad that would be what PSG are looking for right now.

There are of course a couple of United players that have been looked at by PSG in the last few years, for example Marcus Rashford, but it’s hard to see anyone that would make sense as being part of a deal for Ugarte. There are some potentially interesting profiles like Willy Kambwala, for instance, who could develop in the future and who could be useful cover for the injured Lucas Hernandez, who is likely to miss much of next season.

Other than that, I think it’s very difficult to identify a top player outside of Rashford who PSG might have thought there’s something they can do with. The only others who’d interest PSG are surely players United wouldn’t be ready to let go. Ugarte is a good midfield destroyer, but he’s also not the most eye-catching of players, so there will probably be a temptation in the end to jus stick to a cut and dry transfer fee that suits both clubs best, rather than any star names getting involved in the other direction.

Jean Clair-Todibo may snub West Ham transfer to stay at Nice

Jean-Clair Todibo’s potential move to Manchester United now looks problematic due to both INEOS-owned Nice and Man United being in the same European competition next season, catching the attention of the footballing authorities.

The situation with Todibo remains open, with the main offer coming in so far this summer being from West Ham, I believe, and though a move to the Premier League would appeal to Todibo, it’s not, I’m told, the destination he had in mind, as it’s not the same calibre of other clubs who’ve been chasing his signature in the last few months.

My understanding is that there’s now more of a willingness from Todibo to see how things go at Nice this coming season. There is the feeling that there could be an interesting project worth staying on for at Nice, though there might also be a willingness to wait and see if the United and Nice links via INEOS are cleared up in the next 6-12 months.

Todibo won’t miss out on European football if he stays this season at Nice, and he might look at the France squad at Euro 2024, and think that, although William Saliba has now made a starting place his own, there might be an opportunity to partner him in Didier Deschamps’ side at the expense of Dayot Upamecano.

It’s important for Todibo to consider the right move so he can be in the best position possible to put pressure on for that place with Les Bleus at the 2026 World Cup. These will all be considerations, so I think it’s safe to say West Ham don’t live up to Todibo’s expectations given the calibre of clubs to be linked with him in the last year or so.

Kingsley Coman to PSG is one to watch following Michael Olise to Bayern deal

The situation with Kingsley Coman looks pretty intriguing now that Michael Olise is close to joining Bayern Munich, who we also know are looking to move a few players on this summer. PSG are a club who could end up doing business with Bayern because of Xavi Simons – it’s difficult because PSG really don’t want to let him go, but it could be that Bayern will come to the table with players on offer.

If that happens, one name likely to be discussed could be Coman. He’s home-grown, which is important to PSG, so I think there’d be some consideration from them towards Coman, even if the downsides are that he’s quite injury prone and would be on a high salary.

It’s impossible to see Coman going anywhere else in France at the moment, given the concerning issue of there still being no TV deal in place – a major problem for French football as a whole. I do think Bayern’s purge won’t stop at Coman, there are a number of other players they’d like to move on and I think Joshua Kimmich is another PSG will be keeping an eye on, while there’s potentially also interest in Mathys Tel, who we know is not happy to be staying behind Harry Kane in the pecking order in Munich.

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If PSG end up doing a deal for Xavi Simons in the end, it is likely to focus on one or maybe even two Bayern players moving in the other direction, so Coman could be one to be included in the deal, but there’s still a long way to go until. Simons’ Euros with the Netherlands is over. So there’s no movement on that front right now even if Bayern have very much positioned themselves to pick him up.

In terms of Olise going to Bayern, it’s an interesting move. It’s quite a big jump to go from Crystal Palace to a big club like Bayern, but I think he’ll get the developmental programme laid out in front of him that he probably needs to get up to speed. I do think Bayern are looking to go in a different direction now, so if Olise manages to get regular minutes that will put him on Deschamps’ radar, but I do think it’s going to be quite a challenge as well, so a lot will depend on how quickly he adapts and makes himself a contender for regular selection.

I think it’s a good move for Bayern and for Olise, but there is substantial risk attached as well, as I thought when he was previously also linked with PSG and other big clubs.

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Manchester United are reportedly prepared to sell star forward Marcus Rashford this summer following a significant fallout with manager Erik ten Hag.

According to The Sun, the England international and Ten Hag have experienced a breakdown in their relationship, culminating in the club’s decision to consider offers for Rashford. The rift began last season, with multiple incidents contributing to the strained rapport.

It is reported that Rashford defied Ten Hag’s orders on two occasions by staying out late. The first instance occurred when Rashford partied in Belfast until the early hours, despite being scheduled to train at Carrington the following day.

A similar incident reportedly happened later in the season, just before Manchester United’s FA Cup match against Newport.

By the end of last season, Rashford and Ten Hag were barely on speaking terms, with the Dutch manager fuming over Rashford’s repeated defiance.

Despite Rashford hoping for a fresh start under a new manager, the Manchester United board has decided to back Ten Hag. Consequently, Rashford has been strongly linked with a move away from Old Trafford.

Recent reports indicate that Rashford is in talks with a new agency to facilitate his transfer. The Sun’s latest report suggests that Manchester United are willing to listen to offers for the 26-year-old forward, who signed a five-year contract worth £325,000-a-week last summer.

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Rashford’s Manchester United career

Since making his senior debut in February 2016, Rashford has become a pivotal figure for Manchester United.

Over his career with the Red Devils, he has scored 131 goals and provided 66 assists in 402 appearances across all competitions.

However, last season was one of Rashford’s least productive campaigns, with the attacker managing only eight goals and five assists in 43 appearances.

As the summer transfer window progresses, Rashford’s future remains uncertain. Clubs interested in the dynamic forward will likely keep a close watch on the situation.

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This summer it’s vital that Erik ten Hag gets his transfer business right for Man United.

The Red Devils were a shadow of themselves for the most part in 2023/24, and whilst the whole squad is to blame for a poor campaign, the players that the Dutchman hung his hat on woefully underperformed.

The club have seen fit to back him again for now, but ten Hag has to deliver on and off the pitch.

That means getting the right players in and moving on those who are now considered surplus to requirements.

Man United considering Maguire and Rashford sales

According to talkSPORT, United will listen to offers for Harry Maguire this summer.

The England international appeared certain to leave for West Ham 12 months ago, but for one reason or another, the deal never managed to complete.

Maguire’s turnaround since then has been remarkable, however.

Booed by his own supporters for long periods, he eventually got them back onside with a series of commanding performances, evidencing some serious leadership qualities.

It doesn’t appear to have been enough to stop him being considered for sale though.

Joining him on the United scrapheap could be the woefully out of form Marcus Rashford.

Manchester Evening News suggest that a deteriorating relationship with ten Hag could be the reason why Rashford moves on from his boyhood club.

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It’s clear that the forward has a long, long way to go to be considered as back to his best again, and the question that perhaps needs to be asked is whether he can do so under the Dutchman’s tutelage or if that relationship is fractured beyond repair.

There’ll surely be no shortage of admirers for the forward, who might have better luck at recapturing his best form away from Old Trafford.

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Marcus Rashford is reportedly exploring the possibility of changing sporting representation.

That’s according to a recent report from Manchester Evening News, who claims the Manchester United forward’s current agent and brother, Dwaine Maynard, has ‘held discussions with an agency to potentially assist managing the United forward’.

Understood to be allowed to leave Old Trafford following an abysmal campaign last season, United’s new sporting hierarchy, led by minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are willing to let the misfiring 26-year-old depart ahead of next season.

Marcus Rashford in talks to change agents

Consequently, Rashford, who was not part of Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for this summer’s Euros in Germany, is considering his options with possible new representation looming.

Although MEN’s report does not mention which agency United’s number 10 has spoken to, CaughtOffside sources believe CAA Stellar is the winger’s agency of choice.

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There is continued speculation the 26-year-old could be an option for Luis Enrique’s PSG following Kylian Mbappe’s recent move to Real Madrid but overall interest in the Englishman is thought to be lacking despite United’s willingness to offload the underperforming star.

Since making his senior debut in February 2016, Rashford, who signed a five-year contract worth £325,000-a-week last summer, has scored 131 goals and registered 66 assists in 402 games in all competitions.

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According to talkSPORT, Paris Saint-Germain will reportedly take into consideration a summer transfer for Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford.

Since he was unable to turn around Man United’s underperforming offensive line and only managed eight goals in all competitions last season, Rashford’s form has deteriorated dramatically.

If Rashford is open to a move, the Parisians may increase their interest in him since they are eager to replace Kylian Mbappe.

The 26-year-old Rashford has long been admired by the French team, who have previously conducted negotiations with him when it appeared that a move outside England would be imminent.

After the departure of their stay player Mbappe to Real Madrid this summer, Ligue 1 giants are looking to bring in a replacement for the left-sided forward.

Despite Rashford not showing his best form last season, he has the potential to become one of the best attackers in the game.

His pace and dribbling ability is highly regarded and when he finds his form, he can finish off chances with ease.

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The English attacker showed his peak form in the 2022-23 season when he scored 30 goals in all competitions for Erik ten Hag’s team.

The Red Devils may be open to a big offer for Rashford as well, according to the report, although United are not actively trying to move the forward right now.

Man United should keep Rashford at the club

Man United need to raise funds to finance their summer transfer business and the possible sale of Rashford can help ease those concerns.

However, the Red Devils will find it difficult to replace the 26-year-old player.

He may not be in his best form at the moment but he has shown it consistently how good he can be.

Rashford’s pace, attacking ability, versatility and his goal scoring has been a huge asset for the Premier League club over the years and such quality would be expensive to find in the transfer market.

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