Michael Owen labels Rashford the weak link in United's attack after goalless return

Marcus Rashford has been branded the ‘weak link’ in Manchester United’s attack by Michael Owen, after the 28-year-old failed to score or assist in any of his appearances since rejoining the club following loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona.

Rashford has started four of United’s last five Premier League matches, including Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham at Old Trafford, yet has still not registered a single goal or assist across more than 400 minutes of football in all competitions. He was substituted in the second half against Fulham with a hip problem, and has since withdrawn from the England squad for the international break to spend the next three weeks in recovery ahead of United’s match against Tottenham on 10 October.

Owen, speaking on Premier League Productions, pointed not only to Rashford’s lack of output but also to his visible demeanour on the pitch. “On the left, Marcus Rashford has been probably the quietest of those attackers,” Owen said. “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. It does look like the weight of the world is on his shoulders.”

Rashford scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 49 appearances during his loan at Barcelona last season, but Owen suggested that spell was not the unqualified success it was sometimes portrayed as. “Last chance saloon was Barcelona,” Owen said. “I couldn’t believe his luck in getting a team like Barcelona. 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, despite any spin that people put on it.”

Owen went on to warn that Rashford’s place in the starting eleven could come under pressure depending on the fitness of Benjamin Sesko. “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,” Owen said. “There’s a bit of a demand for Benjamin Sesko to come back in and start, injury permitting. 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.”

Manager Michael Carrick has publicly backed Rashford since his return and given him consistent opportunities in the starting lineup, but the forward’s inability to convert that faith into tangible contributions is beginning to attract scrutiny from those outside the club.