Man Utd are better with Rashford - Amorim

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim says the club are "better" with Marcus Rashford after the forward suggested he could leave Old Trafford.

The England international, 27, said on Tuesday that he was "ready for a new challenge and the next steps" in his career.

It came two days after Rashford was dropped for United's derby win against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

Rashford's last Premier League start came in a 4-0 win against Everton on 1 December, when he scored twice.

Amorim suggested the club want the striker - who came through United's youth ranks - to stay, saying: "I don't talk about the future, we talk about the present.

"This kind of club needs big talent and he's a big talent, so he just needs to perform at the highest level and that is my focus. I just want to help Marcus."

Asked about Rashford's desire for a "new challenge", Amorim said: "I think it's right. We have here a new challenge, it's a tough one.

"For me it's the biggest challenge in football because we are in a difficult situation and I already said this is one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"I really hope all my players are ready for this new challenge."

Amorim added the club will "try different things" to help Rashford find the "best levels he has shown in the past".

United face Tottenham in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Thursday.

Amorim refused to confirm whether Rashford or winger Alejandro Garnacho - who was also left out of the squad to face City - would feature against Spurs.

"We have one more training session, but it's the same situation [for] all the other players," said Amorim.

"If they train well then I have to make a choice. We will see at the end of training."

Rashford has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for United since his debut in 2016.

His most prolific season was 2022-23, when he scored 30 times in 56 games in all competitions and was rewarded with a new five-year deal.

Rashford's goals in that campaign account for more than one-fifth (21.7%) of his total tally across nine and a half seasons at Old Trafford.

However, he has struggled for form in the past 18 months, with 15 goals in his past 67 appearances.

The forward's shot conversion rate was 11.9% in the 2021-22 season, when he scored five goals in 32 matches.

That rate increased to 18% the following season when he scored 30 times, but fell to just 9.4% last term - the worst rate of his career across a whole campaign - as he netted eight times in 43 matches.

Since 2019-20, United have won 52.7% of their matches in all competitions with Rashford in the starting line-up (107 wins from 203 games), compared to 54.2% without (58 from 107).

If Manchester United offered guidance to avoid creating even more turmoil around an already delicate situation, Ruben Amorim has followed it.

We already know enough of Amorim to know he will not hold back just for the sake of it, but this is a case where actions will speak louder than words.

Amorim says he wants "big talent" Rashford to stay. But also that players have to meet his standards.

He says Rashford - and Alejandro Garnacho - will be assessed for selection on their training-ground performances.

It is fair to assume therefore that if neither reaches the required standard, they will not travel to London for the EFL Cup tie at Tottenham - even if Rashford has shaken off the illness that prevented him from training on Monday.

After Tottenham, United have Premier League games against Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle.

We will know soon enough where Rashford fits in Amorim's plans. If he fails to reach the standards his new boss demands, the 27-year-old will not feature.