"It's an internal mater, I'll deal with it" - Ten Hag responds to Marcus Rashford's absence from Manchester United squad for FA Cup fixture
Erik ten Hag brushed aside questions about Marcus Rashford not featuring in Manchester United's 4-2 win against Newport County on Sunday, January 28. The manager said the club are dealing with it internally before saying that the forward was ill.
Speaking to the media after the fourth round of the FA Cup, Ten Hag repeatedly stated that it was an internal matter. He added that the forward was ill and that was the only reason he was left out.
"He reported ill and the rest is an internal matter. It is an internal matter. As I said, we will deal with it. I will deal with it," Ten Hag said (via The Guardian).
The Atheltic reported that Marcus Rashford missed training hours after he went clubbing in Belfast on Thursday. They added that the Englishman returned to Manchester on a private flight the following morning, reported himself ill, and was eventually left out of the matchday squad.
Alan Shearer hits out at Manchester United's Marcus Rashford
Alan Shearer has criticized Marcus Rashford after the forward missed Manchester United's FA Cup win. He claims that the Englishman is wasting his talent with disciplinary issues.
Shearer said (via BBC):
"If it's an internal matter, you'd think something is up. There's a huge talent in there with Marcus Rashford. We've seen him be disciplined last season when he was late to a meeting before a game but something is clearly wrong - either at home or in his relationship with the football club. He can't keep doing this, he can't keep wasting his talent because it's not right."
"He needs strong management, someone to get hold of him and tell him there'll be huge regrets come the end of his career if he continues doing this. You can't keep doing it, it needs sorting now. Thirty goals last season, four this season. When I see him play, it looks like he's got the world on his shoulders, so it needs sorting now because he can't really deal with it."
Marcus Rashford scored 30 goals in all competitions last season. However, he has scored just four goals (six assists) in 26 appearances for Manchester United this season.