Marcus Rashford is poised to stage a dramatic return to Manchester United, readying himself for a new chapter under Michael Carrick's stewardship. The England international's two-year contract at Old Trafford remains intact, despite his recent loan spells away from the Theatre of Dreams.
Rashford's last appearance in a United jersey was back in December 2024, when he played a starring role in a 2-1 Europa League triumph over Viktoria Pilzen. However, his relationship with the club had begun to fray under then-head coach Ruben Amorim, who benched Rashford after just 56 minutes and subsequently kept him out of selection. Amorim cited performance, training, and off-field conduct as reasons for snubbing the talented forward.
Manchester United had previously entertained the idea of shedding Rashford's hefty £17.5 million annual wage bill by selling him on a permanent deal – but a suitable offer never materialised. Instead, he jetted off to Barcelona mid-season, where he played a pivotal role in securing the La Liga title with his decisive goal in a 2-0 win over Real Madrid.
Carrick's appointment as United's new head coach brought optimism, and early signs are promising under the experienced caretaker. The Red Devils' return to the Champions League was secured thanks to Carrick's vision, and he now looks forward to putting his players through their paces in a full Premier League campaign.
United's pre-season schedule gets underway on Thursday with six friendly fixtures, each designed to test their mettle ahead of the season kick-off. The Red Devils will face Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18th, Rosenborg in Trondheim on July 24th, and other opponents in a series of matches culminating in a showdown against Milan in Wroclaw on August 15th.
The earliest Rashford could rejoin the squad would be August 10th – should England's World Cup campaign reach its thrilling climax. United will then begin to assemble their team for another big season under Michael Carrick's guidance.