With 46 appearances for his club and his country in less than six months, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford is pushing his body to the limit in a condensed football season like no other.
I would not do it any other way.
“It’s a footballer’s life … we can rest when we retire,” Rashford said Wednesday, a day before the 47th appearance when United play AC Milan in the highest-profile match in the round of 16 of the Europa League.
“For now, I am happy playing as many games as I can.”
There is a chance, if United delves into the Europa League and FA Cup, of another 18 games for his club this season. Add in England’s three World Cup qualifiers this month, as well as the European Championship starting in June, and it’s no wonder there are exhaustion fears when it comes to Rashford and other United stars like Bruno Fernandes and Harry. Maguire.
Rashford is reportedly delaying surgery for a bothersome shoulder injury until after Euro 2020 and said he was happy to play through the pain barrier.
“I just focus on the next game I have in hand, that’s how I handle it,” he said. “What is needed later, we will solve it later. My main goal is to be available for the games as much as I can. “
“I know my body and I know what I can do physically.”
In fact, his priority is to win trophies with United, which has not happened in almost four years since he captured the Europa League with José Mourinho in 2017.
United’s chances of winning the silver medal this season rest in the Europa League (the team is tied 1-1 with Milan heading into the second leg in Italy on Thursday) and the FA Cup, where Leicester awaits in the quarterfinal end on Sunday.
With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the semi-finals have been the roof for United in cup competitions and Rashford said it’s time to correct that.
“Unfortunately, they kicked us out of the Champions League and our goal was to win the Europa League,” he said, “and we are not going to be happy with anything less than that.”
“That is the atmosphere and the culture in this club,” he added.
Solskjaer sees second place in the Premier League, 14 points behind champion-elect Manchester City, as a sign of United’s progress given his team finished third last season, 33 points behind first-place Liverpool. He noted that United have 12 more points in the league compared to this stage last season.
“Sometimes a trophy can hide the other events that are happening at the club,” he said.
“It’s in the league what you see if you’re progressing, really. Sometimes in cup competitions you may be lucky, you may not be lucky. “
“Any cup competition can give you a trophy, but sometimes it is more a matter of ego for the coaches and clubs.”
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She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.