Marcus Rashford is paying the price for being a versatile asset at Manchester United, says Gordon Strachan.
The 20-year-old Old Trafford academy graduate is considered to be one of the most promising talents in world football.
He does, however, face fierce competition for places at United and cannot be guaranteed regular minutes under Jose Mourinho – with the likes of Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata also pushing hard for places.
Rashford has often stated that he wants to nail down a role as a central striker at some stage in the future, but for now his ability to operate in a wider attacking berth is preventing him from becoming a specialist frontman.
Former United midfielder Strachan told Sky Sports on the challenges facing the England international: “His problem is he can play in a few positions.
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“At this moment he doesn’t know what he’s best at either.
“And at Manchester United at the moment with Jose, he likes that big powerful striker up front to hold it up. I don’t know if Marcus is that type of player.
“Can he play off the left and right? He certainly can. Can he play at number 10? I don’t know.
“At that point you’ve got to find where your best position is.
“Some players go ‘I can only play there’ and some ‘I can only play there’. But he can play in a lot of different positions.”
Rashford remains a prominent feature in Mourinho’s plans, but he has slipped down the Premier League pecking order of late.
With others impressing after making the most of their chances, he has not started a top-flight fixture for the Red Devils since Boxing Day.
There are, however, plenty of games still to come, across various competitions, and Rashford should get ample opportunity to play his way into form before the business end of the campaign and a World Cup adventure with England.