Marcus Rashford dropped for Manchester United game for 'disciplinary reasons'
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed that he's benched Marcus Rashford due to 'internal disciplinary' reasons.
Rashford has been in excellent form this season, after his poor campaign in the previous season had led to questions over his future at Old Trafford.
On Tuesday, he scored his fifth league goal so far, to go along with the three he scored for England at the World Cup, making it a very successful December.
However, the end of the year is set to end in much more muddy circumstances, with the 25-year-old named on the bench for the New Year's Eve game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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United boss Ten Hag easily could have put the decision down to rotating his team during a busy period, coming off the back of the six week break for the World Cup.
However, ahead of kick off, the Dutchman confirmed that it was actually due to 'internal disciplinary' reasons, with Alejandro Garnacho replacing him from the game against Nottingham Forest.
"No [details]. Our rules. Now focus on the game. He is in very good form and no-one can play all the games," Ten Hag told BT Sport after revealing the reason for the change in the starting XI.
It is unlikely that the England star has done anything too serious, considering that he is still on the bench and could have easily been dropped from the squad altogether.
Even with his recent good form, United have been linked with another forward, and were expected to sign Cody Gakpo next month.
They have missed out on the Dutchman to Liverpool, but Michael Owen explained why they still need to invest in the transfer market.
The former United striker explained that he still doesn't see Rashford as being a number nine to get 30 goals a season, like Wayne Rooney or Robin van Persie in the past.
They have also been linked with a move for Joao Felix in the winter window, with the Atletico Madrid forward expected to leave the Spanish capital.
Ten Hag's decision to drop Rashford on Saturday provides further evidence of his leadership as manager, something fans would have questioned under others in recent years.
He dealt with the issues with Cristiano Ronaldo at the beginning of the season, after the forward told the club in the summer he wanted to leave.
Ronaldo was told he still had a place in the squad, and reintroduced the Portugal international after he missed pre season for personal reasons.
When the former Real Madrid star walked out on his colleagues during the Tottenham Hotspur game, the manager dropped him for a week, before bringing him back again.
Obviously, in the end it wasn't enough to keep the 37-year-old but again, following his infamous interview, Ten Hag reacted to make sure Ronaldo's contract was terminated.
Topics: Marcus Rashford, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Erik Ten Hag, Premier League, Man Utd
Ryan Sidle