Marcus Rashford could make his first appearance since returning to Manchester United against AC Milan on Saturday, manager Michael Carrick has confirmed.
The England international forward has returned to Old Trafford following a loan spell with Spanish side Barcelona and an extended post-World Cup break, determined to fight for his position in the squad.
Following Manchester United's pre-season fixture against Leeds United in Dublin, Carrick confirmed that Rashford features in his plans for the upcoming campaign. "He's our player. He's come back great. He's just like any other player... He gives us something a little bit different," Carrick said.
In a notable twist, Saturday's match pitting United against Italian Serie A club AC Milan brings Rashford face-to-face with Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese manager, who now leads Milan, previously removed Rashford from the first team during his tenure at Manchester United.
Bryan Mbeumo shines in central striker role
While Rashford prepares for his potential return, Bryan Mbeumo led the line for United in Dublin and provided the assist for Joshua Zirkzee to open the scoring. The 27-year-old Cameroon international has been deployed as a central forward during pre-season as part of a tactical evolution under Carrick.
Mbeumo showcased his form against Leeds by nutmegging two defenders on a driving run down the left flank before setting up Zirkzee, who finished past Leeds' new goalkeeper James Trafford. Mbeumo had earlier struck the crossbar with a powerful first-half effort.
Leeds equalised later in the first half through Brenden Aaronson after recovering from a difficult start. The match finished 1-1 in front of an 82,000-strong sell-out crowd at Croke Park, with Manchester United securing a 5-4 victory in a penalty shoot-out after dominating possession when their regular starters were introduced.
Mbeumo's adapted role comes as United manage limited options at centre forward. Benjamin Sesko remains the club's only orthodox number nine option, but the Slovenian striker has not played during pre-season because of a shin injury, although he traveled to Ireland to take part in the week-long training camp.
United attacking options and pre-season form
Rashford could nudge himself ahead of the Slovenian in the central striker role. On the right flank, United aim to grant first-team space to academy star Shea Lacey, while Amad Diallo faces a defining season competing in the same right-sided position.
Mbeumo's fluidity in attack holds significant appeal and importance for Carrick, particularly if Manchester United do not sign an additional striker before the transfer deadline on September 1. After scoring regularly early last season, Mbeumo struggled to rediscover momentum as his goals dried up in the second half of the campaign, leading to questions over how Carrick could extract his best form.
However, the forward has demonstrated renewed confidence during pre-season, scoring twice against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, netting an equaliser in Gothenburg against Paris Saint-Germain, and creating Zirkzee's opener in Dublin. Mbeumo is set to start as a centre forward when United kick-start their Premier League campaign against Hull City on August 22, completing what has shifted from an experiment into an established formula.
