Marcus Rashford marks return from injury by scoring twice in behind-closed-doors friendly against Blackburn Rovers in his first appearance for Man United since disappointing Europa League final
- Man United faced Blackburn Rovers in a friendly during the international break
- Marcus Rashford underwent surgery for a shoulder injury after Euro 2020
- The 23-year-old has not featured for the Red Devils since Europa League defeat
- The England international returned to full training at Carrington last week
Marcus Rashford returned from injury with a bang as he scored twice for Manchester United in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Blackburn Rovers.
The friendly marked the 23-year-old’s first appearance since the Euros after he had shoulder surgery in the summer.
The forward was deemed fit enough to start the game after seeing a consultant and returned to full training at Carrington last week.
Marcus Rashford marked his return from injury with two goals in Man United’s friendly
Rashford hasn’t featured for the Red Devils since his disappointing display in the Europa League final defeat to Villareal in May.
But the 23-year-old revealed on Twitter last week that he would return to training after being given the green light.
‘I see the doctor on Friday for a consultation. All being well, I will get the green (light) to join in with contact training again,’ he posted.
Rashford, who has missed ten matches in all competitions so far this term for United, had also been managing an ankle ligament tear which he sustained in March but his spell on the sidelines has allowed that to heal.
Rashford had been struggling with shoulder and ankles issues throughout last season
Last week Rashford took to Twitter to reveal he would return to training if given the go-ahead
United confirmed that Rashford would be going under the knife following a short holiday and rest away from football in July.
They explained how both the club and player felt it was the right time to address the ongoing issue with his shoulder.
They also outlined how Rashford had been struggling with the problem ever since he tore the muscle in November but he had continued to play through the pain barrier for United and then England during Euro 2020.
The 23-year-old underwent surgery in July and revealed that the surgery was successful
But he still managed to score 21 goals and register 13 assists in 46 appearances last term, which left many pondering what numbers he could produce once fully fit.
He didn’t feature as much as he would have liked for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions in their rampant Euros run and sadly his campaign ended on a sour note when he missed a spotkick in England’s final penalty shootout against champions Italy.
The England international’s return to action and the fact he started the friendly on Wednesday could indicate that he is in contention to face Leicester once the Premier League returns after the international break.
The forward delayed the surgery until after international duty with the Three Lions at the Euros
Rashford returned to training at Carrington last week before starting against Blackburn
Speaking last week, Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he hoped Rashford could be available after the break.
‘Marcus is fit, he’s worked really hard, but he’s not had any contact [until now]. If his shoulder can take the contact now, he should be ready after the internationals,’ he said, via the Manchester Evening News.
United are using the international breaks to strengthen squad sharpness and the Red Devils’ other players who haven’t gone on international duty were also expected to feature against Blackburn.
In the September international break, United welcomed Stoke City to Old Trafford as a second-string side lost 4-3.
