TIME TO MAKE YOUR MARC
Rashford’s chance to end frustrating 2017goal drought
JOSE MOURINHO will give Marcus Rashford another chance to end his six-month Premier League goal drought this weekend.
Rashford has not scored in the top flight since plundering United’s third goal in a 4-1 win over Leicester at Old Trafford on September 24.
The England striker, 19, has bagged three FA Cup goals since then, but has drawn a blank in his 18 subsequent Premier League appearances. But with Zlatan Ibrahimovic serving the final game of a three-match ban on Saturday, Rashford is set to lead United’s attack at home to West Brom.
Rashford is under pressure to prove to United boss Mourinho he can thrive through the middle, having spent most of the season playing out wide.
In England’s 2-0 World Cup qualifier win over Lithuania at Wembley on Sunday, Rashford came on as a sub for the last half-hour and created more chances than those who played the full 90 minutes.
But he prefers to play through the middle, with Ibrahimovic’s enforced absence and injury to Wayne Rooney handing him a rare chance to do just that.
Ibrahimovic has given the strongest hint yet that he is ready to commit to United for an- other season. The forward, who has scored 26 goals in his debut season, has been coy on his future and has refused to confirm if he will be at Old Trafford next season.
But the 35-year-old has given United fans hope by saying he “never leaves a job unfinished’ and confirming he is in talks with the Reds over a contract extension. Opening up on his time at United, Ibrahimovic said: “I enjoy. I’m a person when I go into something I put my head 200 per cent, and I do what I’m good at. I go in, I go for the kill and I go out.
“And when I go out there is no complaints, that’s what I do. I never leave a job unfinished. I always go in, do my job, and in the way that is a fair play, a fair deal, that is what I do.” Ibrahimovic (below), speaking at an event for his range of Zlatan fragrances, confirmed talks were ongoing between his representatives and United over a new deal and said: “Let’s see what happens, we are talking.
“I have an option for another year, I want to do great as long as I’m here, so let us see, there is a lot of time. I’m enjoying being at a fantastic club, without doubts, one of the biggest clubs in the world with a great coach.
“He’s the perfect coach for this club – I knew him before, he’s a winner.
“I am a Man United player, people wanted me here, I chose the club, I chose the best English club, that’s the way it works.”