Rash, bang, wallop for Reds

YOUNG STRIKER COMES OFF THE BENCH TO HELP UNITED MAINTAIN 100 PER CENT START AFTER LUKAKU FLUFFS HIS LINES FROM PENALTY SPOT

USAIN Bolt was back at Old Trafford for the first time in five years and United’s surge out of the blocks continued to mirror the Olympic great’s spirit against Leicester.

Bolt rarely came second and had a tendency to slacken off as he surged towards the finishing line – and United ended their month with not quite as much dominance against Craig Shakespeare’s stubborn side as they did versus Swansea and West Ham.

Appropriately, the outcome was decided by a quicksilver introduction. Jose Mourinho predicted Marcus Rashford would have a similar impact to Anthony Martial if he emerged off the bench and the 19-year-old proved him right.

Three minutes after his second-half introduction, Rashford lashed the ball past Kasper Schmeichel from Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s corner.

It was looking like another Schmeichel could saunter off the Old Trafford pitch with his name echoing around the stadium after he repelled Romelu Lukaku’s tame 53rd minute penalty.

The other substitutes – Jesse Lingard and Marouane Fellaini – combined for the latter to knee in a late clincher and ensure United remain the only Premier League side with a 100 per cent record.

Rashford’s strike might have spared Ed Woodward more grief from Mourinho, too.

The Portuguese still yearns for a wing-back and his full-backs contributed little against a stubborn Leicester.

Daley Blind has demonstrated little over the last six weeks to suggest Mourinho should prolong with him at left-back beyond the international fortnight.

Mourinho reiterated his desire for a left-sided signing again on Friday and Lukaku gave Blind a pep talk, which nearly paid off when Lukaku skimmed the Dutchman’s cross towards the end of the first half.

Still, the full-backs’ erratic efforts should have faded into insignificance after referee Michael Oliver correctly adjudged Danny Simpson had handled inside the Leicester area - but Lukaku saw his spot-kick saved.

United ironically performed better in the first 45 minutes than their previous first halves at Swansea and West Ham yet were not rewarded. Lukaku held off Wes Morgan and Harry Maguire with formidable resilience and his steel was complemented with silk by Anthony Martial and Juan Mata, as United’s forwards interchanged effortlessly against their unsettled visitors.

Mourinho clapped United forward and coincidentally sparked a stirring spell as Mata had a goal chalked off from an offside position, Kasper Schmeichel theatrically denied Lukaku’s curler and Paul Pogba diverted Anthony Martial’s cross wide during a first-half flurry. But Leicester held on and the half was eerily reminiscent of United’s dominant draws at home last season.

Schmeichel’s save extended the parallels until Rashford struck. United remain top of the podium.