Rashford Set for Manchester United Return Against AC Milan

Marcus Rashford is poised to pull on a Manchester United shirt for the first time since December 2024 – and the stage is a pre-season meeting with Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan in Poland.

The forward, whose United career stalled before loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona, is expected to be involved in Michael Carrick’s final warm-up game of the summer. It is a low‑stakes friendly on paper, but Rashford facing the coach who froze him out adds a sharp edge to the occasion.

Carrick left Rashford out of the 1-1 draw with Leeds United in Dublin on Wednesday, along with Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo, insisting the trio were not yet ready after late returns to training.

“Marcus, Licha and Kobbie only came back a couple of days ago so they're not quite ready but we can have them for the weekend,” Carrick said. “We trained hard, the boys who came in, Marcus, Kobbie and Licha have trained really hard and we'll have a recovery day tomorrow.

“We'll all recover tomorrow, train Friday and prepare for the game on Saturday [against Milan]. Again, we'll get the balance right of minutes."

The plan is clear. Rashford, Martinez and Mainoo are likely to start on the bench in Poland, eased back in with controlled minutes much like the United players who went deep into the World Cup. The friendly may be the final tune‑up, but Carrick will not risk overloading those just back in the fold.

Selection Questions

Selection questions stretch beyond Rashford. Mason Mount, Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko are all doubtful after missing the Leeds game, leaving Carrick to reshuffle his options again. The upside is in midfield, where Bruno Fernandes and summer signing Youri Tielemans could line up together from the start for the first time, a pairing United supporters have been waiting to see.

Up front, the picture is less settled. Matheus Cunha made his first pre-season appearance in midweek, throwing his name into the mix for the central role. Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo have been operating off the flanks, working around lone striker Bryan Mbeumo, and Carrick must now decide whether to persist with that structure or hand Cunha a bigger role.

For Rashford, the focus is simpler. A first step back in United colours, a chance to convince a new manager he still belongs at the heart of his boyhood club, and all of it played out opposite Amorim and AC Milan.

It is only pre-season. But for Rashford’s future, this feels like the start of something that cannot be treated as just another friendly.