Manchester United continue to capture attention during the international break. Michael Carrick has just over a week until his side returns to action against Tottenham Hotspur on October 10.
United signed off for the extended break with a disappointing draw to Fulham and the club have since suffered injury blows. Noussair Mazraoui recently became the third member of Carrick's team to sustain a fitness issue while on international duty, joining Bruno Fernandes and Patrick Dorgu.
Rashford 'issue' highlighted
Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford were both initially included in Thomas Tuchel's England squad but the duo opted to withdraw due to injury concerns. Rashford has regularly featured for United this term since returning from his Barcelona spell but club legend Wayne Rooney has outlined why he believes the forward is yet to hit top form.
Rooney has refused to pin Rashford's lack of goals this season on the 28-year-old managing a hip issue. Instead, the club's all-time top scorer has argued that the issue impacting Rashford's output is his role in the team, with the England international yet to record a goal or assist in six appearances.
“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.”
United transfer instruction issued
Meanwhile, United icon Rio Ferdinand has called upon the Red Devils to sign a free agent to help bolster Carrick's squad. Ferdinand has suggested the club should sign former Real Madrid icon Karim Benzema as a free agent, given the club's lack of recognised strikers.
Benjamin Sesko is yet to start a league game this season and missed the Fulham draw with a shin issue, which prompted him to withdraw from the Slovenia squad. Matheus Cunha has been deployed as a centre forward and Carrick also has Joshua Zirkzee at his disposal but Ferdinand feels that United could benefit from adding Benzema's experience to the squad. The 38-year-old has been available on a free transfer since leaving Al Hilal this summer, having scored 10 goals in 16 games 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.”
