Southgate tip for Rash

ENGLAND manager Gareth Southgate has urged Marcus Rashford not to be fazed by the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and to embrace a wide role at Manchester United. Rashford, 19, ended last season as United’s main frontman and started the Europa League final win over Ajax as a central striker. However, boss Jose Mourinho has since signed Romelu Lukaku and brought back Ibrahimovic. Rashford has started both this season’s Premier League games on the left wing and performed well without scoring. He is known to prefer a central role but Southgate told him not to be fixated over the position. The England manager said: ‘His performances from the left have been excellent. ‘In the win against West Ham he was fabulous. ‘Yes, there is talk — is he a nine? — but as a young player nailing down a position is less important than being selected.’ Southgate also said Ross Barkley’s career is in danger of stalling at both international and club level. Barkley, hoping to leave Everton, has not played for England since May 2016 and is now out for three months with a hamstring injury. Southgate said: ‘It doesn’t sound as if we will see him before March so everything is on hold.’