'Bleak' and 'clear' reasons why star has really has been axed by Man Utd emerge as explosive swap is touted

Marcus Rashford’s five-game absence from the Manchester United side has been explained in all its complexities by a trusted journalist, who has revealed why he faces a real battle to salvage a future at Old Trafford and amid claims a high-profile swap deal is under discussion.

Rashford is headline news after recently being axed by Amorim for a four-match stretch that started with the derby victory at Manchester City and also included their costly defeats against Tottenham, Bournemouth and Wolves. But while he did return to the bench as an unused substitute against Newcastle on Monday, the fact that he admitted in a high-profile interview that he now wants to leave Manchester United has opened the door for a multitude of speculation over his future.

While Rashford has ruled out a move to Saudi Arabia, turning down three offers to move there on a lucrative £35m a year contract, the 27-year-old has since been linked with a move to both Borussia Dortmund and Napoli.

According to reports, the latter of those deals could see Rashford change places with Nigeria striker and Galatasaray loanee Victor Osimhen in what would be a high-profile swap deal.

Whether that gets off the ground or not remains to be seen, though one thing for sure is that Rashford now faces an extremely difficult task in salvaging his career at Old Trafford.

Now informed United journalist Laurie Whitwell has provided a behind-the-scenes look into the saga and done a deep dive over where it has all gone wrong.

And writing for The Athletic, he has explained how a conversation with Amorim at the start of December goes some way to explaining Rashford’s five-game absence from the Man Utd side.

Whitwell writes that Amorim learned that in the hours that followed the 4-0 victory over Everton at Old Trafford – a game in which Rashford scored twice – had heard the forward had been out in Manchester on a Friday night, November 29, less than 48 hours before the clash.

And while Rashford insisted the United boss had been misinformed and denied having a late night, the United manager is adamant he does not want his players in bars so close to games. As a result, three days later, Rashford was left out of the starting line-up for the trip to Arsenal, with his only start since then coming at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.

And having looked into the exclusion from the side that has followed Whitwell describes it as a ‘complicated situation’, though with one thing clear: ‘Rashford’s prospects of an imminent return to favour under Amorim look bleak’.

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A detailed look at how Rashford has fallen foul of Amorim standards

The 27-year-old did return to the bench for the visit of Newcastle on December 30, though with United trailing 2-0 and Amorim turning to his bench early, the fact he did bring Rashford on has been seen by many as another telling sign that his days are numbered.

Amorim denied that afterwards, simply stating his decision to overlook the 60-cap England star: “I’m not making a point. I just want to win the game.”

However, The Athletic has since spoken to several anonymous sources to get to the bottom of how a player of his standing and reputation can suddenly find himself excluded from the side particularly when results are going to go badly for United.

Described as ‘complicated situation’, Whitwell has dissected the player’s situation – and it appears to begin with events that followed the Everton clash.

Whitwell writes: ‘Since their talk after the Everton game, Amorim has given Rashford 118 minutes of football out of a possible 720.

‘He played the final half-hour both at Arsenal and in the following match at home to Nottingham Forest, then started against Viktoria Plzen, although Amorim substituted him on 56 minutes after a poor performance.

‘Two days later, on Saturday, December 14, in the final training session before facing Manchester City the following afternoon, Rashford put in a lacklustre display at United’s Carrington base, according to multiple sources, some of whom said he appeared fatigued.

‘Claims circulated Rashford had gone out the night before — on the Friday, 48 hours before the game — with accounts reaching people at United. This, however, is strenuously denied by people close to the player. Rashford is also known to feel he does not behave differently from other Premier League footballers but faces much more scrutiny over his social life.’

Whitwell goes on to explain that ultimately the decision on team selections lies with the manager and on the evidence he sees with his own eyes and when the squad for the derby at the Etihad Stadium was posted in the team WhatsApp group that Saturday evening, Whitwell claims ‘it was clear to the players that their new head coach had taken strong action in a bid to jolt Rashford’.

INEOS verdict on player emerges as exit talks ramp up

That stance is also shared by those above Amorim at United, namely INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox.

In the aftermath of United’s 2-1 win in the Manchester derby, Amorim indicated he had held talks with executives on how to handle Rashford. “For so long, for example with Rash, you try a thing, it doesn’t work,” he said. “Let’s continue to do the same thing? Or something different?”

Meanwhile, any hopes of the player returning to the side on Sunday at Anfield appear bleak with the player struggling for fitness owing to illness.

On his prospects of returning to the side further down the line, Amorim stated: “It depends more on him than me.

“He has to want it really, really bad. He’s here. He’s ready to play if I decide.”

However, the sale of an academy-produced player is certainly of temptation to United given it significantly aids their PSR situation given any exit would be recorded as pure profit.

And with Amorim going on record as admitting his chances of January additions look bleak unless some money comes into the club, it is easy to see why speculation over Rashford’s future continues to mount.

Whitwell writes that, in conclusion, there can be no doubting his quality. But he adds ‘ when people at United talk about Rashford’s attitude needing to shift to meet the standards required and how having turned 27 in late October, he should be setting an example for the younger players.

In conclusion, Whitwell asks: ‘Are his off-field choices impacting the level he can reach when the whistle blows on matchday? Until Amorim and his team sense a meaningful improvement, the prospect of a continued absence, or a departure, will remain.’

Rashford’s declining record for Man Utd by numbers

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