Marcus Rashford’s team-mates are angry with the Manchester United star over the latest lapse of discipline that has landed him in trouble with manager Erik ten Hag.
United issued a statement on Monday night saying that Rashford has ‘taken responsibility’ for his actions following talks with Ten Hag.
Sources confirmed that Rashford has returned to training and is contention for Thursday’s trip to face Wolves at Molineux.
But senior players are said to be unhappy with Rashford after it emerged that he was in a Belfast bar the night before missing a training session at Carrington on Friday morning.
They were upset to discover the real reason for his absence in the build-up to United’s trip to Newport County in the FA Cup, which is the club’s only realistic chance of a trophy this season.
Marcus Rashford’s team-mates are angry with the Manchester United star over the latest lapse of discipline that has landed him in trouble with manager Erik ten Hag
Senior players are said to be unhappy with Rashford after it emerged that he was in a Belfast bar the night before missing a training session at Carrington on Friday morning
Ten Hag vowed to ‘deal with’ Rashford after Sunday’s FA Cup win at Newport County, and his team-mates were also upset when they discovered the real reason for his absence
‘The players were told he was too ill to train, and then it came out that he’d been in the nightclub. They couldn’t believe that he would do that given the situation the club is in,’ said a source.
Rashford arrived at Carrington in his Lamborghini Urus yesterday morning to hold talks with Ten Hag and other senior figures, followed by his brother and agent Dwaine Maynard.
A club statement read: ‘Marcus has taken responsibility for his actions. This has been dealt with as an internal disciplinary matter, which is now closed.’
Ten Hag said after the win at Newport that he would ‘deal with’ Rashford.
The manager has the power to fine the player up to two weeks’ wages, which would total about £630,000, although it’s unclear what punishment was handed out.
Following Rashford’s latest transgression in Belfast, his camp only appeared to have made the situation worse by misleading United.
They claimed that video footage of the player entering Thompsons Garage club in Belfast was taken on Wednesday night before a planned day off, and not Thursday.
However, it emerged that Rashford was in another nightspot, Lavery’s Bar, on Wednesday before he was filmed going into Thompsons Garage on Thursday wearing the same outfit he was pictured in at Northern Irish club Larne FC earlier in the day.
Rashford had been seen entering Belfast night club Thompsons Garage earlier on this week
Thompsons Garage is located in the city centre of Belfast and is open seven nights a week – Rashford is said to have attended on Thursday
Rashford flew home by private jet the next morning but said he was too ill to train, and was left out of the trip to Newport for the same reason.
According to the club, he stayed behind at Carrington to train while he recovered. However, a clearly irritated Ten Hag said afterwards that it is an ‘internal matter’ and would not elaborate when questioned further.
It is the second time this season that the Dutchman has had to deal with the fallout from Rashford’s nightclubbing.
Ten Hag branded the player’s behaviour as ‘unacceptable’ in October after he celebrated his 26th birthday with family and friends at Chinawhite straight after United had lost to Manchester City in the Old Trafford derby.
The night out in Belfast was another challenge to Ten Hag’s authority after the manager had to deal with disciplinary issues surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho.
Ronaldo’s contract was torn up and Sancho was made to train alone for five months at Carrington before going back to his old Borussia Dortmund on loan this month.
With new part-owners Ineos casting a keen eye over every area of the club, including the value for money of the squad, even a player of Rashford’s ability is not untouchable.
The England forward finished last season with 30 goals before signing a new £315,000-a-week contract in July, but has only scored four times for United this term.
Ten Hag will speak to the media again on Wednesday before Thursday’s game at Wolves, and he is set to face more questions over the Rashford issue.
Rashford had previously risked the wrath of Ten Hag after he went on a night out following Man United’s 3-0 defeat to Man City back in October