Marcus Rashford's Man Utd return date and first team he could face emerges

Marcus Rashford's Manchester United return has been pencilled in after his loan spell with Barcelona expired and the club did take up the option to sign him permanently.

Rashford won La Liga with the Blaugrana, scoring 14 goals and assisting the same amount in all competitions. However, his stay in Catalonia was short-lived as the club elected against signing him for £26 million and instead snapped up his England teammate Anthony Gordon from Newcastle.

As a result, Rashford is now set to return to boyhood club United for pre-season and will be welcomed back into the fold by Michael Carrick.

According to Simon Stone from the BBC, Rashford will be part of United's training camp in the Republic of Ireland when he returns from a break following on from England's run to the World Cup semi-finals.

READ MORE: Marcus Rashford's Man Utd future takes twist as two Premier League clubs register interest

United have been in Scandinavia for pre-season, with games in Finland, Norway and Sweden. Next up is a game against European champions Paris Saint-Germain followed by an all-Premier League clash with Leeds United at Croke Park, which could come too soon for Rashford.

But he may well be in contention to feature in another friendly against AC Milan at the Tarczynski Arena, in Wroclaw, Poland on Saturday 15 August.

Milan are of course now managed by former United boss Ruben Amorim, who froze Rashford out at Old Trafford and placed him in his 'bomb squad'.

After being dropped for the Manchester derby in December 2024, Rashford was left out in the cold after Amorim said he "doesn't give the maximum every day".

Having said he was "ready for a new challenge", Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan before spending a successful season in Barcelona.

The 28-year-old was vocal in expressing his desire in continuing with Barcelona, only for circumstances to prevent a permanent switch.

Latest on Marcus Rashford's future as he nears shock Man United return

Rashford's hefty wages do present a stumbling block for a move away from United but he has been linked with a whole host of clubs.

The Sun say that Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce are interested in Rashford and have contacted his representatives.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail say that Rashford does still have potential suitors in England - with two Premier League clubs showing plenty of interest in him.

Clubs in Italy, Germany and Saudi Arabia are also understood to be keeping tabs on Rashford.

On the contrary, Graeme Bailey of TEAMtalk says that Carrick is in no rush to get rid of Rashford and believes he can contribute this season if he stays put.

The report notes that there is belief amongst Carrick and his coaching staff that Rashford can be a central figure.

Though he is the club's highest-paid player, that is not seen as an issue for the staff as they believe he can be brought back seamlessly and give United another attacking option.

Rashford's last competitive game for United was in December 2024 when he featured in a Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen.