Coach Erik ten Hag has resolved internal disciplinary issues with Marcus Rashford, allowing the English striker to return from Man Utd's match against Wolves in round 22 of the Premier League.
"Rashford has accepted responsibility, and the rest is an internal matter. The matter is closed," Ten Hag said on January 31 at a press conference before the match against Wolves.
When asked further about whether the England striker's behavior showed a lack of respect for the coaching staff and teammates, the Dutch coach replied: "It has nothing to do with that. As I said, the incident is over."
Coach Ten Hag encourages Rashford after taking the striker off the field during the Premier League match between Man Utd and Tottenham at Old Trafford on January 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Ten Hag once criticized Rashford for his "unacceptable" behavior when he went to a pub after a 0-3 loss to Man City to celebrate his birthday in November 2023.
But the England striker did not learn from his experience, flying to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to meet his close friend Ro-Shaun Williams, who plays for Larne FC, on January 24. Rashford was discovered going to a pub with his friend and partying for two nights on January 24 and 25, but only reported to Man Utd for one night. When he returned to the club, he called in sick, missed a training session and missed the 4-2 win over Newport County in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
On January 29, Rashford and his agent Dane were at Carrington to speak with Ten Hag. Man Utd later released a statement about the incident saying: "Rashford has accepted responsibility for his actions. This has been dealt with as an internal disciplinary matter and is now closed."
Ten Hag has been cracking down on discipline since taking charge of Man Utd in June 2022. The Dutch coach punished Cristiano Ronaldo several times before the Portuguese striker left the team at the end of 2023. Ten Hag also expelled Jadon Sancho from the first team, when the England midfielder publicly criticized him on social media and refused to apologize.
"In football you need discipline and that's not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well," Ten Hag added of the tough decisions. "There's a line, and every professional player knows that. We have to focus on our game, on winning, and the whole team knows what the demands are."
The 53-year-old coach continued to defend Rashford, saying that his student has improved his form with two goals and two assists in the last three games. Ten Hag also praised Rashford for increasingly playing well with striker Rasmus Hojlund and wants to continue this process.
Ten Hag confirmed Andre Onana could play after Cameroon were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), while Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof, Tyrell Malacia and Anthony Martial remain absent. Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Casemiro started, while Harry Maguire came off the bench in the 4-2 FA Cup win over Newport County a few days ago and is all ready to play.
Ten Hag believes that welcoming back key players will give Man Utd more options and make them stronger, while reiterating that the team can beat any opponent if they are at their best.
Hong Duy
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