As had been expected, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford will undergo shoulder surgery, and in doing so, be unable to participate in the first couple months of the season.
A couple weeks ago, PA News Agency reported that Rashford would go under the knife in order to resolve his chronic injury problem, and that this procedure will leave sidelined for about 8-12 weeks, meaning he’ll miss out on a significant chunk of the early season.
The club statement issued today reads: “Following consultation between Marcus, the manager, club medical staff and a specialists, Marcus will undergo surgery imminently to resolve his shoulder injury.
“He will now focus on his rehabilitation in order to return as soon as possible.”
So you’re looking at Rashford being MIA for all the August and September fixtures, as well as part of the October schedule. The good news is United don’t play a fellow big six side in league play until Liverpool on October 23, and he should, or at least could, be back for that.
However, he will miss out on some key clashes against the likes of Aston Villa, Everton and West Ham United. Plus, the UEFA Champions League group stages, once we learn the draws and fixtures for those.
Rashford battled through the shoulder problems to suit up for England at Euro 2020, and he made five substitute appearances. Given how far from match fit he was, no one who gets it could have faulted him for forgoing international duty and instead focusing on convalescence.
Hindsight is always 20/20. However, that’s not in line with the type of fierce competitor he is, so it wouldn’t have been in his DNA to sit. Best of luck to Marcus Rashford MBE, for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.