Rashford omission 'not personal' but a case of 'setting standards,' says Amorim

Photo: Manchester United

Ruben Amorim has stated that Marcus Rashford being frozen out of the Manchester United squad is a case of setting standards at the club, and is not personal whatsoever.

Rashford's omission from the team has dominated headlines over the past few weeks, with the English forward not making an appearance under Amorim since a UEFA Europa League match against Viktoria Plzen back on 12th December. Since that game, he has been in the matchday squad just once, against Newcastle United on 30th December, yet he was not brought on from off the bench.

Amorim has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with Rashford's training levels, remarking that if other players are putting in better training displays, then they deserve to be in the squad ahead of them.

The Portuguese manager has been flooded with questions surrounding Rashford in press conferences, and after the 1-0 win against Fulham, he stated that he would rather give 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital a game ahead of Rashford due to a lack of effort.

In his press conference ahead of the FCSB game on Thursday, Amorim clarified his comments, stating that it applies to every player who does not put in the required effort in training.

"The situation is the same for every player. My sentence was that I wouldn't put any player that doesn't give the maximum. I didn't only say Marcus Rashford," he explained.

Amorim remarked that it is clear that United are a "better team" with Rashford, yet he "will not change" his mind until the right moment.

"If Rashford will change, we are more than happy to have Rashford. But we have to set standards. It is not personal."

"Imagine a talent like Rashford, our team should be so much better, but he has to change. If he changes, we will use a talent like Rashford, but in this moment, we have to set some standards," he continued.

When asked whether he is disappointed with Rashford, Amorim quickly said that he will not give too much information away on his situation with the 27-year-old.

"It's the same thing guys. We need goals. We need one against one. We need threat in the final third. Guys, what more do you need?"

Rashford's situation has developed significantly over the past few weeks, as although he is an attractive loan option for the likes of AC Milan, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, his high wages remain an issue. Barcelona seem the most likely to snap him up, yet they will need to sort their financial situation out before proceeding with a move.

It is clear that Amorim seems to appreciate the qualities that Rashford possesses, especially with United struggling for goals, yet it is vital for him to set a standard about what every United player should be doing to get into the team. It is something that helped him become so successful at Sporting CP, and something that he wants to be in full force at Old Trafford.