Few could have envisaged that, when Marcus Rashford trotted to the side of the pitch in the second half of a Europa League victory over Viktoria Plzeň in December 2024, it would be his final Manchester United appearance for 611 days.Rashford had scored three goals in as many starts following Ruben Amorim’s appointment the previous month, making a compelling case for his continued ever-presence under yet another head coach at Old Trafford. Amorim, however, had other ideas.After it became clear that the stubborn Portuguese tactician had definitively lost faith in a player he considered to be a poor trainer, it appeared as though the United academy graduate would never again turn out for his boyhood club. Even after Amorim’s sacking in January, Rashford seemed more likely to be lining up for Barcelona rather returning to United as he enjoyed a fruitful loan spell in Catalonia. However, despite amassing 14 goals and as many assists while Barça romped to a second consecutive league title, no permanent stay could be arranged—much to the dismay of the player (and Barcelona’s manager, Hansi Flick).Michael Carrick opened the door to a return for his former teammate and brought him back into the fold in Saturday’s friendly against an AC Milan side which just so happened to be managed by a certain Ruben Amorim. Yet, United’s returning exile would have to wait a little longer for some sweet vindication.Rashford’s Stats vs. AC MilanMarcus Rashford was given a new shirt number against Milan. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty ImagesPosition: Left wing in 4-2-3-1Minutes: 29Goals: 0Assists: 0Shots (on target): 0 (0)Chances created: 0Dribbles attempted (completed): 1 (1)Touches: 13Rashford Lacks Punch in Purposeful Return🔙 pic.twitter.com/JZha6SrFTZ— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 15, 2026Try as his teammates may to disprove it, Rashford has been unhelpfully lumbered with a reputation as a luxury player whose commitment is open to questioning. Amorim certainly wasn’t impressed with an individual who fell behind Alejandro Garnacho, Mason Mount and goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital in his personal pecking order at United.While many would fairly argue against a supposed lack of application from Rashford in training, his energy off the ball in competitive matches has been justifiably called into question. The Barcelona loanee ranked second bottom for total pressures per 90 minutes played among all qualifying attacking players in La Liga last season, according to Gradient Sports. He attempted 22.5. The average across the division was 42.1. Only Real Madrid’s infamously immobile Kylian Mbappé was less active.That stigma may very well have been playing on his mind as Amorim watched on from the same left touchline which Rashford strode up and down during his 30-minute cameo on Saturday. Like the rest of United’s frontline, the England international harried the red and black striped shirts in a high press off the ball. There was one particularly notable sprint from Rashford to slide in and dispossess Milan’s Mario Gila. The winger’s chances in possession were far more limited. Bryan Mbeumo drifted across from center forward to combine shakily with his new teammate on a couple of occasions while there was a wayward in-swinging cross which tamely bounced nowhere near any of his cream-shirted teammates. The closest snatched sight of goal for United’s returning forward came after Milan had already scored twice in quick succession to take a 4–2 lead. Rashford just lost the flight of Lisandro Martínez’s perfectly weighted ball over the top which dropped eight yards from goal, oddly pulling his foot back from a desperate prod while Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani held his ground.None of Carrick’s side particularly stood out, although Patrick Dorgu did enliven his appearance on the left wing with an opportunistic goal at the start of the second half. After 20 months away from the club, it would be a surprise to see Rashford lining up in the starting XI of United’s Premier League opener against Hull City next Saturday, but his fleeting flashes of pace, promise and, perhaps most pertinently, purpose, offered hope of happier times during his second spell in Manchester.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow