When Marcus Rashford suffered a fracture in his back against Wolverhampton Wanderers in an FA Cup third round reply on January 15, it was believed Manchester United’s season would collapse.
Rashford had scored 14 goals and assisted four more in 22 Premier League fixtures. Certainly, jokes were made that the back injury was due to Rashford carrying his teammates but in the weeks following the striker’s injury, the Red Devils have shown his absence is not a problem.
The 2019-20 Premier League campaign is Rashford’s best-ever in a Manchester United shirt. Rashford’s 14 goals are four more than his Premier League career-high in 2018-19.
Since debuting as a pacey left wing in 2015-16 in just 11 matches, Rashford has seen his goals scored numbers increase each season. But the addition of Bruno Fernandes in January from Sporting Lisbon has lessened the Red Devils’ dependence on Rashford.
In fact, Fernandes’ arrival and ability to cut through defences has made the team so much better that it begs the question: Are Manchester United better without Rashford?
Certainly, there is an argument to say that the Red Devils are a better team now than when Rashford went down with injury. They have posted a 3W-2D-2L league record without the striker. It isn’t a record to set the world on fire, but the club are moving in the right direction.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team are also three matches unbeaten in the Europa League, won back to back FA Cup fixtures, and defeated Manchester City in the EFL Cup semifinal second leg. Without Rashford, Manchester United have defeated their derby rival on two occasions.
Fernandes played a starring role in the Red Devils’ most recent win against Manchester City, assisting the game’s opening goal. Since arriving at Old Trafford, Fernandes has scored two goals and assisted three in five Premier League games.
The midfielder’s play has been so good that he has had a hand in at least one goal in each of the last four Manchester United matches in the league. Fernandes is everything Manchester United fans expected Paul Pogba to be at Old Trafford and more.
Rashford is not the player Manchester United should build around, rather it is Fernandes. Last summer, Romelu Lukaku was sold and identified as a cancer at the club. Pogba is the next player expected to go for the same reason, but Rashford shouldn’t be far behind.
There have been a few times this season that Rashford has looked outrageously uninterested in playing. Manchester United’s loss to West Ham in London was one of those moments when he went down with a slight injury and immediately walked off.
Manchester United’s re-build could involve selling one of their homegrown players. It wouldn’t be a popular decision but it could be one that turns the club into a title hopeful and not just a top-four contender.