Rashford doubt for Euro clash
MARCUS Rashford could sit out United’s Europa League quarterfinal second leg with Granada tonight.
The forward, who scored in the first leg last week, did not participate in training on Tuesday or yesterday due to an ongoing foot injury.
United are without suspended trio Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay, while David de Gea is expected to start in goal.
Mason Greenwood, Daniel James or Amad could replace Rashford in the United attack.
Eric Bailly has returned to England after testing positive for Covid-19 during international duty with the Ivory Coast but is unavailable for the visit of the Spaniards, so Axel Tuanzebe is set to start alongside Victor Lindelof.
“We have to make sure we go through,” manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stressed ahead of tonight’s match.
“I always pick a team I think will win a game and we will go into this game wanting to win this.
“I know Granada will want to come, give it their all, but we also want to improve on our performances, build on the momentum we’re on with a good performance. There will be a few changes, some of them are enforced, some are maybe rotation.
“We’re not looking at consequences of [possible suspensions], no, we go into a game having to do everything we need to do to win.
“If the tackle is there to be won, the tackle is there to be won, we don’t want any lazy yellow cards, just play the game properly, no talking gestures and we’ll be fine.”
Tuanzebe has not lined up since the visit of Sheffield United in January, when he was subjected to racist abuse in the fallout of the 2-1 defeat.
The 23-year-old started the season superbly, neutering Kylian Mbappe in United’s 2-1 Champions League group win at Paris SaintGermain but the academy graduate has only lined up twice this calendar year.
“Axel has always been a very positive boy and a hard-working boy and Victor and Harry have formed a very, very good partnership,” Solskjaer added.
“Eric’s come in and played really well when he’s played, his chances have been limited but he’s trained well and ready for this opportunity and I don’t think [the abuse] affected him, back when it happened, no.”