Marcus Rashford Faces Ruben Amorim in Pre-Season Showdown
Marcus Rashford will come face to face with an old fault line this afternoon – and Manchester United fans want him right in the middle of it.
Michael Carrick has named the winger in his travelling squad for United’s final pre-season outing against AC Milan in Wroclaw, Poland, a routine warm-up on paper that carries anything but routine emotion. Sitting in the opposite dugout is Ruben Amorim, the coach whose spell at Old Trafford unravelled in part around his fractured relationship with Rashford.
Rashford vs Amorim, round two
Amorim’s United tenure never truly caught fire. One flashpoint defined it. In December 2024, ahead of the Manchester derby, he dropped Rashford from the squad and then banished him from training. For a homegrown star and one-time talisman, it felt brutal, almost terminal.
By January, Rashford was gone, shipped to Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season. When he returned, there was no fresh start. Instead, he was placed in a so‑called “Bomb Squad” group and quickly sent back out, this time to Barcelona on a season-long loan.
While Rashford tried to rebuild in Spain, the situation at Old Trafford shifted. Amorim was sacked and replaced by Carrick, the former United midfielder stepping into the role and immediately altering the mood around the club.
Rashford seemed destined to stay at Barcelona permanently, with a £26m buy clause inserted into his loan. Barcelona walked away from that option and signed Anthony Gordon instead, leaving Rashford’s future back in Manchester – and back in question.
Back in red, back in the spotlight
After the World Cup, Rashford reported back to United and has been with the squad in Dublin this week. He sat out the friendly against Leeds, but Carrick has now included him in the group travelling to face Milan.
It is not just any pre-season appearance. It is Rashford’s first chance to share a pitch with a side coached by Amorim since their split at Old Trafford. The backdrop writes itself.
United supporters, though, are clear about what they want. Asked by MEN Sport, “Should Marcus Rashford play against AC Milan on Saturday?”, fans delivered a decisive verdict. Out of 2,799 votes at the time of writing, 84 per cent said “Yes”. Only 13 per cent were against the idea, with three per cent unsure.
The appetite is obvious: they want to see him out there.
Others with a point to prove
Rashford is not the only player with history under Amorim now back in the frame. Kobbie Mainoo, who also endured a difficult spell during the Portuguese coach’s reign, is in the travelling party as well, another reminder of a short era that left scars.
There is also room for excitement. Teenage forward JJ Gabriel has been handed another chance to impress with the first team, a nod to Carrick’s willingness to blend established names with emerging talent as he shapes his first full campaign.
So a pre-season fixture in Wroclaw suddenly carries an edge. Rashford is back in United colours, Amorim is back in his technical area, and a fanbase that overwhelmingly wants to see their winger play will be watching closely to see what kind of statement he makes – and what it might mean for his place in Carrick’s plans this season.
