Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has shown his ruthless side yet again after dropping Marcus Rashford against Wolves on Saturday. The England international has been in outstanding form this season, scoring 10 goals across all competitions. But he’ll be on the bench at Molineux as the Red Devils look to battle their way to all three points.
Manchester United saw Rashford shine in midweek, with the England international clocking up his 10th goal of the campaign in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
But the England international has now found himself on the bench for today’s match with Wolves, with Ten Hag saying his decision was due to ‘disciplinary reasons’.
With Rashford on the bench, United have gone with a front three consisting of Antony, Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho.
Yet the absence of their No 10 has sent shockwaves around the footballing community, especially given his fine form.
Right now, it’s unclear what exactly Rashford has done to warrant such a demotion. As a model professional, it certainly seems out of character.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag has dropped Marcus Rashford for Wolves clash (Image: GETTY)
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But Ten Hag has already shown he’s taking no prisoners at United and, now, the 25-year-old has experienced that first-hand.
The Dutchman has flexed his muscles regularly since taking over at Old Trafford, insisting he’ll always put the interests of the team above any individual.
It is something Sir Alex Ferguson often did during his stint at United, with the Scot often brutal regardless of the personnel he had within his squad.
Ten Hag showed his bold side early in the campaign when he dropped Harry Maguire, the club’s captain, after a chastening 4-0 defeat to Brentford.
Maguire has struggled to win the trust of his manager ever since, with the likes of Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof all above him in the pecking order.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag was brutal on Cristiano Ronaldo before veteran left (Image: GETTY)
The United boss has long made it clear he’ll do things his way as he looks to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford after a decade of inconsistency.
And it’ll now be interesting to see whether Rashford can regain the faith, and backing, of his manager regardless of his fine form this season.
United legends Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand opened up on the England international when speaking on BT Sport before the game.
Scholes said: "It’s difficult to know the truth really, internal disciplinary, you think lateness. But I love him, the way he’s honest, he’s got the lad in the form of his life who will be a big part today he’d be coming into this game expecting to score goals and win the game.
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Man Utd star Marcus Rashford has scored 10 goals this season ahead of Wolves clash (Image: GETTY)
"To stand by his guns, we’ll see if it’s a wise decision. I love the way he deals with it.
"Marcus Rashford today would be the first name in the team but he’s obviously done something that’s upset him, the rest of the team. Marcus has paid for it."
And Ferdinand added: "You think back to when we played, if the manager showed weakness, it’s like the Cristiano Ronaldo situation, we can all have our opinion but the most important people are those in that changing room.
"If they’re responding to these decisions with respect, step out of line, you’re punished immediately. That can only be positive for this dressing room."