Rashford relishes opportunity to step up in Ibrahimovic’s absence

United forward is looking for sustained central role – starting against Chelsea, writes

o 9, for sure,” Marcus Rashford replied when asked in January what his favoured position was. “It’s easier to get your shot off or get in and around the goals”.

By last week, the Manchester United striker was offering a slightly different take on things. “I have played down the middle, I’ve learnt off the right and off the left and these are little steps that are making me a better player,” he said. “If someone can play in more than one position, it’s beneficial to you, your manager and your teammates.

“Jose Mourinho has given me the opportunity to learn my trade in different positions. It’s something that is needed in modern-day football. I see myself as a striker but nowadays it’s difficult to be just a striker. Those players are few and far between.”

Rashford is right. The Harry Kanes, Robert Lewandowskis and Sergio Agüeros, those out-and-out centreforwards whose first instinct is to shoot, to go for the jugular, are becoming something of a dying breed.

When Rashford burst on to the scene in spectacular fashion a year ago, scoring twice on his United debut against FC Midtjylland and following it up three days later with another brace against Arsenal, he generated so much excitement in part because he represented something increasingly uncommon. Twelve months on, he has been used in a number of roles, but mostly out wide by Mourinho.

The 19-year-old is convinced he is a better player for it and that may prove to be the case in time. But there is good reason why so many United supporters are hoping Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s three-match suspension finally provides Rashford with an opportunity for a sustained run-out at centre-forward, starting against Chelsea in tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge.

United improved this season once Wayne Rooney made way for Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Ibrahimovic had more players willing to run beyond him, as well as Mourinho’s deployment of an extra man – Michael Carrick – in midfield. Before then, United had too many players who wanted the ball at their feet: Ibrahimovic, Rooney, Juan Mata.

United’s increased number of runners – Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba – have certainly helped to liberate Ibrahimovic and Mata.

Rashford’s inclusion, though, would likely dictate playing a different way and perhaps it could prove an effective way of disrupting Chelsea’s relentlessly efficient operation.

Ibrahimovic does not have the speed to run in behind defenders. He needs players around him to do that. Rashford has that pace in abundance and perhaps it will enable the likes of Mata and Carrick to be more direct with their passing.

Rashford’s shooting accuracy is well down this season but given that he scored eight times from his first 12 shots in the Premier League last term, an 89 per cent accuracy rate was near impossible to maintain.

Other areas of his game have improved, though. He is making more than four times as many interceptions on average, winning 4.10 duels on average per game compared to 2.84 last season, making an average of over 10 more passes per match and he has created more chances, won more take-ons and significantly improved his passing accuracy.

The fear, of course, is that too long playing creator over predator may have blunted that ruthless edge but Rashford believes he is a more intelligent player as a consequence. “My all-round game has improved so much over the last year,” he said. “I’m doing things that I knew I could always do but wasn’t doing when I was younger.”

Rooney was left out of the Europa League squad for the 4,000-mile round trip to Russia and Mourinho may have a role in mind for his captain against Chelsea as a result but Rashford, who travelled but did not feature against FC Rostov, would be the exciting choice.

He is unlikely to be fazed and may feel he has a point to prove. “In the big games, although you don’t mean to do it, you have a bit more fight and determination, and it comes naturally,” he said.