Marcus Rashford's brief return to the Manchester United squad for the December 2024 match against Newcastle United raised questions about his future at the club, according to former player Gary Neville. The striker, who had been excluded from several previous matchday squads under manager Ruben Amorim, was surprisingly named on the bench for the Premier League fixture.
Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, questioned the timing of Rashford's recall. 'They're not scoring a lot of goals. They've obviously got suspensions and players out of form and maybe think that he's bucked up in training in the last few days but it's a big question for Amorim tonight. Why has he brought him back now?' he said. Rashford remained an unused substitute as United lost 2-0 at home.
Amorim later clarified that Rashford's inclusion was due to an injury crisis. 'We have a lot of players [out] so he's in,' the manager explained. Rashford had been omitted from three consecutive Premier League squads before the Newcastle game and was left out of the next four after it.
The 28-year-old eventually left United on loan to Aston Villa in February 2025, scoring four goals and providing six assists in 17 appearances. He then moved to Barcelona on a temporary deal last summer, where he has rediscovered his form. Barcelona hold an option to make the transfer permanent for £26 million.
Rashford has expressed his desire to stay at Barcelona. 'I'm enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game,' he told ESPN. He is set to face Newcastle in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, having scored twice against them in the league phase.
