Marcus Rashford may need shoulder surgery after European Championship

Marcus Rashford may have to consider undergoing surgery on a shoulder injury after the European Championship finals with England this summer.

The Manchester United striker suffered a muscle tear in his left shoulder against Arsenal in November and the problem has yet to correct itself as a consequence of a relentless workload and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reluctance to give him a rest.

Rashford is the only United player to have featured in all 42 of United’s games this season, 34 of which he has started, and the acute demands being placed on the 23-year-old’s body are starting to take their toll.

The injury has led to his shoulder becoming badly inflamed after matches and restricted his mobility during games, including his ability to jump for and hold up the ball, with team-mates known to be amazed by Rashford’s continuing ability to play through the pain barrier.

Last Sunday in the 0-0 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Rashford was seen clutching his left arm in visible discomfort after colliding with an advertising hoarding.

Solskjaer said in December that he hoped it “won’t take too long” for the problem to “completely go away” but there are no signs of that happening and, while Rashford is willing to soldier on, the need for some respite is growing and there is the possibility he may require an operation after the Euros.

The situation is a concern for both Solskjaer and England manager, Gareth Southgate, given Rashford’s importance to both club and country. As things stand, he is expected to join up with the England squad for the World Cup qualifying matches against San Marino, Albania and Poland later this month but there is likely to be considerable scrutiny around how the injury is managed from here.

Rashford was pushed to breaking point last season when he was ruled out for months with a double stress fracture in his back that he continued to play with.

After being substituted in an FA Cup match against Wolves in January last year, there were concerns Rashford could miss the remainder of the season and the Euros only for the season to be delayed and the Euros put back a year as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Henderson handed extended chance to impress as de Gea takes time out

Dean Henderson has been given the chance to boost his prospects of becoming Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper in the absence of David de Gea with an extended run in the team over the next few weeks.

Henderson, 23, kept his eighth clean sheet of the season for United in Wednesday’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace and he is due to stay in goal for the club’s next five matches with De Gea having returned to Spain for personal reasons.

It is understood that De Gea’s partner, the pop star Edurne, is expecting their first child and, while the goalkeeper was prepared to continue playing for United, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has resolved that it would be better for the 30-year-old to be with his family in the circumstances.

Henderson has had to wait patiently for chances and has made no secret of his desire to usurp De Gea as United’s No 1 but Sunday’s trip to runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City will be the first time the England goalkeeper has started in successive league matches for the club, providing nothing compromises his involvement between now and then.

Thereafter, United have matches home and away to AC Milan in the Europa League Round of 16 with a league match against West Ham at Old Trafford sandwiched in between and then Leicester in the FA Cup fifth round on March 21 in the club’s final game before the international break.

De Gea could potentially remain in Spain and meet up with his national team during the international break but the protocols around quarantines mean he would have been unable to fly out to attend the birth of his child and then immediately rejoin United’s squad.

Solskjaer has a big decision to make in the goalkeeping position in the summer with Henderson reluctant to spend another season as De Gea’s understudy following his return to Old Trafford this term after two years on loan at Sheffield United.

De Gea, equally, is unlikely to be happy at the prospect of any demotion and, if Solskjaer did opt to promote Henderson and was unable to sell the Spaniard, United would risk having the top-flight’s highest paid player on £375,000 a week stuck on the substitutes’s bench.

The situation certainly complicates Henderson’s efforts to become United’s long-term No 1 but De Gea’s absence has provided him with an unexpected opportunity to have a clear run in the team and stake his claim for the position on a permanent basis.

It is also timely in relation to his England’s prospects ahead of the planned March internationals and could improve his chances of trying to dislodge Everton’s Jordan Pickford as Gareth Southgate’s first choice goalkeeper.

Henderson made a vital save to prevent Patrick van Aanholt from scoring a potential winner for Palace in the last minute at Selhurst Park on Wednesday but now faces a tough challenge against City, who are 14 points clear of their derby rivals at the top of the table.