Alan Shearer believes a disciplinary issue is the reason why Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag started Marcus Rashford on the bench against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Rashford didn’t score in any of his opening three Premier League appearances in 2024/25 but netted his first of the campaign against Southampton on matchday four before scoring a brace and notching an assist in the 7-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley.
Despite his midweek exploits, the England international was dropped to the bench for Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
The decision came as a surprise but Ten Hag claimed pre-match that the decision was due to rotation and Rashford came off the bench in the 61st minute.
While on punditry duty for the game, Jamie Redknapp said that the decision hinted at a disciplinary issue.
Ten Hag responded, stating that Redknapp’s comments were “crazy” after the former Liverpool midfielder highlighted the Man Utd manager’s positive comments about the player in a press conference ahead of the match.
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“I heard already the speculation (from) some pundits,” Ten Hag said after the draw. “That’s crazy.
“I would almost say that you as a person you are not okay when you bring such speculation if you don’t know what’s (going) on.
“This is just rotation. We have many games to cover and more than 11 players, but we have to give all the players their chances if they perform. Finally we will find out and the players who perform better will play more.
“But this has nothing to do (with Rashford). I am very happy with Marcus with everything – his defending, his offensive part. He scores in this moment, he performs very good. So nothing to do with him being on the bench, just rotation.”
Rashford falls out with Man Utd manager Ten Hag again?
Although Ten Hag doubled down on his rotation comments, Newcastle United legend Shearer still thinks there is an issue between the Dutchman and Rashford.
Gary Lineker was the one to suggest that is the case and Shearer agreed, stating that there is no other reason to drop him.
“It looks like, reading between the lines, it might be some disciplinary issues because he (Ten Hag) kind of mooted that in his press conference that ‘Marcus has got to be professional’,” Lineker said.
Shearer responded: “Why else would you leave him out?
“When things have been criticised, and I was one of them, for performances, but then you get your goal last weekend, you get another couple in midweek.
“Why would you actually even contemplate leaving him out? My guess is, and it is a guess, it has to be something different.”
Rashford was superb for Man Utd in Ten Hag’s first season at the club, scoring 30 goals in 56 appearances across all competitions, including in the Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle.
Last season was a bitterly disappointing season for the club as a whole as Rashford only hit eight goals.
He lost his place in the England squad as a result and is fighting to get in Lee Carsley’s team for next month’s international break.
If Rashford has found himself in hot water with Ten Hag, it would not be for the first time.
He was dropped to the bench for a match against Wolves in December 2022 after being late for a team meeting and was omitted from the squad following some late-night escapades in Belfast 13 months later.
Rashford was pictured in a Belfast nightclub on a Thursday evening and did not report for training the next morning due to being ‘unwell’. That old chestnut…
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