Solskjaer will not rush Rashford
Players told to ‘step up’ as United search for striker Manager denies putting himself before the team
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has refused to rule out the prospect of Marcus Rashford missing the rest of the season as the Manchester United manager called on his embattled side to “step up” and stop the loss of his top goalscorer from derailing their season.
The United manager – who conceded Rashford’s absence had heightened the need for reinforcements this month – also launched a staunch defence of his handling of the England striker’s fitness.
Rashford is facing months out with a double stress fracture in his back that could yet jeopardise his involvement in Euro 2020 with England this summer.
Solskjaer said Rashford would not require back surgery but that the player – who also has a piece of floating bone in his ankle that will require a small operation – would be given all the time he needed to make a full recovery.
Asked ahead of tonight’s game against Burnley if it was possible Rashford could miss the remainder of the campaign and possibly the Euros, the United manager said: “Marcus is going to get as long as he needs to get fit. We are not going to risk him when he has had an injury.
“I have the best medical staff in the country and I am sure when Marcus comes back he will be 100 per cent fit. He wants to get back as quickly and safely as possible and we’ll give him that time.”
United have been offered Moussa Dembele, the Lyon striker, and Edinson Cavani, of Paris St-germain, as they weigh up an emergency replacement. Solskjaer claimed the performance in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool was evidence that United were taking “strides forward”, but admitted they had been put under pressure by Rashford, Scott Mctominay and Paul Pogba all facing lengthy lay-offs.
“Good question – the million-dollar question for us because Marcus has been fantastic,” Solskjaer said when asked how he could stop the injury from derailing their season. “Step up. Someone’s got to step up. If we find something in the transfer market, yeah, that might be one solution. But the best solution is players stepping up, making sure they are ready and taking their chance.
“We know that Marcus is out for a few months. That will take its toll on the team because we are stretched. We are looking at different scenarios. If there are deals to be done, we will update you.”
Solskjaer was accused by Ian Wright, the former Arsenal striker, of putting his own interests before
Rashford’s health after it emerged the striker had been complaining of back trouble for weeks.
But Solskjaer – who again denied that Rashford had been playing with a single stress fracture that then developed into a double stress fracture following a challenge by Matt Doherty in the FA Cup tie against Wolves last week – insisted appropriate precautions had been taken with his star player’s fitness.
“No, I never put myself before the team,” Solskjaer said when asked about Wright’s criticisms. “He’s had minor discomfort in his back since the Burnley game [at Turf Moor on Dec 28]. We’ve had scans, we’ve monitored him. There’s not been any injury there.
He’s had complaints, yeah. I had a discussion with him the day or two days before [Wolves]. ‘FA Cup, I’m going to rest you’. He felt fine. He was very adamant that, if needed, he could at least do half an hour.
“He had no complaints training the day before the game, he did really well. We have to manage players every single day, loads of things that Ian Wright or anyone doesn’t know about.”
Rashford had been using a fracture-healing machine called a Melmak on his back to try to alleviate the pain, which had become so acute he was forced to do the majority of a filmed interview with Ryan Giggs standing up in the days leading up to Wolves.
Compromise: Jurgen Klopp says he is happy to earn less to contest fewer games
“There is no year without a tournament and that makes no sense. I don’t know why nobody sees it like this,” he said. “And then you come up with the money [argument], so I say, ‘Less money for less games? OK’. But the Carabao Cup secondleg semi-final is nothing to do with money. These games are not OK.
“The Football League and the FA have to talk and find a solution, just internally. That would already decrease the situation because every year we do the same. We talk about it at this stage of the year and then the rest of the year we don’t.”
Liverpool can see the situation getting worse the more successful they are. In the summer of next year, the revamped 24-team Club World Cup will take place in China in June.
The participants are yet to be confirmed by Fifa – Liverpool are awaiting confirmation as to whether they have qualified based on most recent performances in Uefa and Fifa tournaments. It seems likely they will be. If so, it will cause another headache committing to every competition next season.
“I am not sure we have to [go to Club World Cup] but we are all well paid and that’s how it is,” said Klopp. “I like the idea in general, but then you have to cancel another tournament. You just cannot add on another tournament and another and another. That cannot work.”