Marcus Rashford has rubbished claims that burnout could become an issue for him at Manchester United, with the 23-year-old shrugging off a shoulder complaint and any future injury concerns.
The England international remains a key part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans in 2020-21 and has sat out just one game this season – the 1-1 draw with AC Milan in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 encounter.
He is hoping to figure in the return date with the Rossoneri at San Siro on Thursday and has sought to quash any fears regarding his long-term fitness.
What has been said?
Rashford has told reporters when asked about the shoulder problem that has been troubling him of late: “I just focus on the next game at hand and that's how I deal with it. What's needed after we'll deal with that after, but my main focus is just to be available for the games.”
“I know my body and I know what I can do physically and that's it. I take one game at a time and it's the life of footballer.
Next Match
“We can rest when we retire and for now I want to play as much as I can. I recover from games quite well and from injuries I have no doubts, so I have no worries.”
How many appearances has Rashford made this season?
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The highly-rated product of the Old Trafford academy system has figured in all 29 of United’s Premier League outings this season – starting all but two of those fixtures.
Three appearances have been made in their run to the FA Cup quarter-finals, along with four games in the Carabao Cup, six in the Champions League and two in the Europa League.
That is 44 matches in total, with 18 goals and 10 assists contributed.
The bigger picture
Rashford is eager to see his efforts rewarded in 2021, with major silverware in United’s sights.
He formed part of the last Red Devils squad to claim a trophy back in 2017, as Europa League success was enjoyed under Jose Mourinho, and he is looking for a repeat four years on.
“That's the aim when we unfortunately got kicked out of the Champions League, the focus was to win the Europa League,” he said. “Anything less than that and I know the team, manager, staff aren't going to be happy with that. We're going to do our best to win this competition.”