Marcus Rashford rejoined the Manchester United squad in Dublin this week as Michael Carrick prepares to integrate the forward ahead of the new season.
Rashford has been away from United since joining Barcelona on loan last season, after previously spending the second half of the 2024-25 campaign at Aston Villa. Barcelona declined their €30m option to sign him permanently, leaving the 28-year-old back at Old Trafford with a contract that runs until 2028.
The winger has been given the No 14 shirt, which he wore at Barcelona, since his old No 10 shirt is now worn by Matheus Cunha, and Carrick confirmed Rashford will be part of the team next season.
“I’ve played with him,” Carrick said before the trip to Dublin. “I played in the game he made his debut, so we have a history. We have got a full squad this week in Dublin.
“We fly straight there and have a few days where we have the whole group back together. Marcus is part of that.”
Back with the boys 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/F2uQq3Z8Yy
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 9, 2026
Rashford and United are determined to start on a clean slate but the old problems cannot be allowed to rear their heads again.
In the past, Rashford’s application in training and on the pitch has been questioned. There were also a few questions about his lifestyle, and some felt that after playing at United for a decade under the intense spotlight he was exhausted.
His attitude was considered impeccable at Barcelona, where the only concern was that he was too poor off the ball. This should be a worry for United, given that Barcelona was where Rashford supposedly gave his all in a bid to persuade the Catalans to sign him permanently.
If he was poor at marking there, he certainly won’t be good at it anywhere else.
Many observers watching the team from outside told Fulltime Herald they felt Rashford’s lack of application without the ball was influencing his teammates, especially younger players like Alejandro Garnacho at the time.
This is something the club, the player and Carrick will have to address before the start, and certainly during the course, of the new season.
United face Leeds at Croke Park on Wednesday, before ending pre-season with a game against Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan in Poland on 15 August.
