Former England striker Michael Owen has labeled Marcus Rashford the weak link in Manchester United's attack after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Fulham. The 28-year-old winger was substituted during the second half of the Premier League match in west London after sustaining a hip injury.
The injury has forced Rashford to pull out of the upcoming England squad for three international fixtures over the next three weeks. He will miss Nations League matches against Spain, Czechia and Croatia, with no return date confirmed for his recovery.
Manchester United are one of the most successful clubs in English football, competing in the Premier League and playing home matches at Old Trafford. Fulham host top-flight fixtures at Craven Cottage, situated along the River Thames in west London.
Rashford has started four of United's five Premier League games since returning to Old Trafford. However, the forward has failed to register a goal or an assist in over 400 minutes of action across all competitions this season despite showing brief flashes of quality.
Criticism of body language and form
Speaking as a pundit on Premier League Productions, Owen expressed concern over Rashford's demeanor and output on the left side of United's front line. He pointed to the player's body language during the match at Craven Cottage as evidence of ongoing struggles.
Owen described Rashford as quiet and noted that he appeared glum on the pitch. He questioned why the attacker seemed unhappy while playing at the highest level of professional football.
“On the left, Marcus Rashford has been probably the quietest of those attackers,” Owen said on Premier League Productions. “He was quiet again today in his body language, just the glum face. He just doesn’t seem to be loving his football which has been a permanent frustration with Marcus.”
Owen argued that something behind the scenes might be affecting the winger's frame of mind.
“It does look like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and you just think how? Why? He’s living everybody’s dream,” Owen said. “Surely there’s something behind the scenes that is making him look as if he’s not enjoying his football at the moment.”
Owen scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for England during a career that included spells at Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City. Rashford emerged from the Manchester United youth academy in 2016 and has represented England at major international tournaments.
Barcelona loan and tactical vulnerability
Before returning to Manchester United, Rashford spent time on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona. During his stint in Spain, he managed 25 goal contributions for Barcelona, including 14 goals.
Despite those statistics, Owen argued that the loan spell in Catalonia did not solve the attacker's underlying issues. Barcelona opted not to sign Rashford permanently, choosing instead to invest heavily in former Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon.
“Last chance saloon was Barcelona. I couldn’t believe his luck in getting a team like Barcelona,” Owen said. “He does reasonably well out there, but not well enough for them to keep him and then they end up spending fortunes to replace him by buying Anthony Gordon. So, it wasn’t all perfect. It wasn’t all rosy despite any spin that people put on it.”
Owen suggested that Rashford's current performances leave him vulnerable to losing his starting spot in United's attack.
“And then he comes back to Manchester United. He’s done okay, but only okay,” Owen said. “And he needs to probably do a little bit better in that front three because his is the position in the attack that would be vulnerable.”
He explained that potential tactical shifts could see Rashford displaced on the left flank if striker Benjamin Sesko returns to the starting lineup.
“There’s a bit of a demand for Benjamin Sesko to come back in and start, injury permitting of course,” Owen added. “But if that happens, Cunha is going to go on the left and Rashford would be the weak link in that attack as things stand.”
Physical attributes and mental strength
Despite his critical assessment, Owen insisted that Rashford retains the raw talent needed to succeed at Old Trafford if he resolves his mental focus.
“There is nothing that that lad hasn’t got,” Owen said. “He is so tall, such a great athlete. His touch and his skill levels are unbelievable. He’s quick.”
Owen emphasized that mental resilience is the defining factor for top-level athletes.
“He’s got everything that you would want in a player, and it just shows you if you haven’t got that [mentality], that is the most important thing in football. Not even a question,” Owen said. “If you’re mentally strong, then you can go far in the game and he has got absolutely everything.”
He added that Rashford should be entering the peak years of his career as a 28-year-old.
“When he’s confident, when he’s happy and everything then he can be a world beater. But it’s not often he’s got that between his ears ticking. It’s not often that he’s in the right frame of mind,” Owen said.
“He’s 28 now, he should be in his prime. He should be absolutely tearing defences apart, scoring loads of goals. We’re talking about what records he can break. He has got that ability to do it, and he’s shown it in patches, but just not seeing it on a consistent basis.”
Upcoming fixtures and recovery
United have not confirmed an exact timeline for Rashford's return from his hip injury. The club will evaluate his condition ahead of their upcoming domestic and European fixtures.
In the short term, Rashford will remain sidelined while England complete their autumn international schedule. The national team face Nations League matches against Spain, Czechia and Croatia over the next three weeks.
The UEFA Nations League is a biennial tournament featuring European national teams. England compete in the top tier of the competition, which provides competitive international fixtures between major tournament cycles.
