Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that freight forwarder Marcus Rashford will be available for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final with Granada.
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Rashford was substituted in the second half of Sunday’s 2-1 win over Brighton after being seized by a late challenge – an injury that came just weeks after he was forced to withdraw from international service due to another problem.
Rashford was forced by the pitch against Brighton | Pool / Getty Images
His involvement in Thursday’s fixture was apparently up in the air as a result, but Solskjaer has now revealed that Rashford can expect to play a part in the game after passing a late fitness test.
“Marcus is traveling and we just have to make a decision whether he starts or sits on the bench,” Solskjær said at a press conference (via Sky Sports News). “I do not think he will be a 90-minute man, but we’ll see where we are tomorrow.”
The news will be a huge boost for Solskjær, who has already lost Anthony Martial to what could be a season-ending knee injury.
Martial was injured in international service FRANCK FIFE / Getty Images
With the boss wanting to rotate his squad and keep his senior players in shape, there is a place in the traveling squad for another academy star, 18-year-old forward Anthony Elanga.
The Swedish youth international, who has six goals and two assists in 12 games for United’s U23 during the season, signed a new contract in March and has been part of the first team’s bubble together with other young people such as Amad Diallo and Shola Shoretire.
“Of course I have confidence in the young boys, and in Anthony we have a player with good skills, a good attitude and he scores goals from either the right or the left, and he has a good pace,” Solskjær told the club’s official website.
“He’s not just there for experience, he can actually play a role, who knows? He has that X-factor and I like players with speed and acceleration and he definitely has. ”
He continued: “Anthony will be in the squad, he will be on the bench. He is impressed when he has trained with us. He was very unlucky two or three months ago, when he got a bad injury and he worked really hard to come back so he would just move into the first team team then.
Elanga has impressed at the youth level Nathan Stirk / Getty Images
“He has a little X-factor, some attributes. It’s not like a gift, but the pace and acceleration and speed he has, it’s a given for a winger. When he has that speed, he always has qualities that I like. He’s a goal scorer, he’s sure. He likes to beat men and can finish with his right foot and left foot and he has a great attitude.
“He has an appetite and hunger to improve and when he has trained with us he has not been confused by it. He’s safe. He is not only here for the experience, he is ready to play a role if he has to. ”
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