Manchester United manager Michael Carrick entered the international break with several issues to solve, with just over a week to find solutions before his side return to competitive action against Tottenham Hotspur on October 10.
United were most recently held to a frustrating stalemate with Fulham and have since been hit by injury setbacks. Noussair Mazraoui recently became one of the latest players from Carrick's squad to pick up a fitness problem while away on international duty.
Rashford role questioned
Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford were both originally named in Thomas Tuchel's England squad but the pair chose to pull out due to injury concerns. Rashford has been a regular fixture in the United side after returning from Barcelona, yet club legend Wayne Rooney has explained why he thinks the forward has yet to reach his best this season.
Rooney has refused to blame Rashford's lack of goals on the 28-year-old managing a hip problem. The club's record goalscorer has insisted that the issue affecting Rashford's productivity is his role within the team, with the England international still to register a goal or assist across six outings.
"No, because I actually think he has done OK in games and he has looked lively and in some games he hasn't," Rooney said on the Stick to United podcast. "But I think in some of the games, he has actually looked quite lively and sharp.
"I think the issue is he's too far away from goal. That's the issue why he's not scoring or creating."
"He's playing too wide. He's playing too deep at times. With Marcus Rashford, with good attacking players who can score goals, you want to get them as close to the goal as possible, and I don't think he's close enough to the goal."
Benzema transfer suggestion
United legend Rio Ferdinand has suggested that the club should snap up former Real Madrid icon Karim Benzema as a free agent to solve their shortage of recognised strikers. Benjamin Sesko is yet to make a league start this season and sat out the Fulham draw with a shin complaint, subsequently withdrawing from the Slovenia squad.
Matheus Cunha has been utilised as a centre forward and Carrick also has Joshua Zirkzee available, but Ferdinand believes United could greatly benefit from the addition of Benzema's vast experience. The 38-year-old has been available on a free transfer since leaving Al Hilal this summer, having netted 10 goals in 16 appearances for the club.
"If you knew you had to manage his [Sesko] minutes, I totally agree with you. Without him, there isn't really a focal point," Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel when discussing United's need for another striker. "We've got players that want to come deep to the ball more often than not and get involved in the build-up, and then you lose that focal point out there.
"But if you had somebody up there who could share the minutes, share the load, help in terms of experience, lend that experience to Sesko for him to learn as well, you'd have been getting so much more out of just a signing to go and play the 90 minutes."
"Welbeck springs to mind, obviously, so does Benzema. Two players I feel would have added huge value to the forward line that we have."
