Erik ten Hag to address Marcus Rashford’s absence following nightclub incident report

Erik ten Hag asserted that he will address the absence of Marcus Rashford (26) following the Manchester United star’s non-participation in Sunday’s 4-2 triumph at Newport in the FA Cup.

Ten Hag stated that Rashford was not available for the fourth-round clash in south Wales, citing illness reported on Friday. However, weekend reports suggested that the English forward had spent Thursday evening at a Belfast nightclub before missing United’s training session the next day.

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“He reported ill,” commented United boss Ten Hag after his team narrowly avoided a stumble against fourth-tier Newport. “The rest is an internal matter. I will handle it, and we will address it.”

Ten Hag mentioned the existence of a “no good culture” at United upon his arrival and acknowledged facing disciplinary challenges during his tenure at Old Trafford.

United winger Jadon Sancho recently returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan, having clashed with the Dutch manager.

Rashford had previously been omitted from a Premier League match against Wolves last season due to tardiness in attending a team meeting caused by oversleeping.

When asked about the recent issue with Rashford, Ten Hag commented, “I won’t delve into this matter. We discussed it earlier, had a good game, and now we move forward.”

United netted twice in the opening half against opponents situated 76 places below them in the pyramid, with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo. However, Bryn Morris and Will Evans found the net on either side of half-time, putting United at risk of a humiliating defeat.

Antony and Rasmus Hojlund managed to score in the late stages, saving United from embarrassment. Nonetheless, it was another disjointed performance in a challenging season for Ten Hag.

“In the initial 35 minutes, we displayed strong dominance. We denied the opponent any opportunities and could have easily been three, four, or five-nil up,” stated Ten Hag.

“Unexpectedly, they managed to score a goal, and again right after half-time.

“We need to assess our shortcomings in defending during transitions. There was poor defense from the cross, resulting in a 2-2 score, and they turned the game around.

“However, it highlights our resilience. We remained composed, returned to our style of play, secured the third and fourth goals, so the mission is accomplished.”

Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, and Luke Shaw all returned to the starting lineup for United after recovering from injuries, with Harry Maguire making a late appearance for the first time since December 12th.

Ten Hag is optimistic that the comeback of these experienced players can provide a boost to a team currently in eighth place in the Premier League and out of the Champions League.

“I am familiar with the resilience of players like Licha (Martinez), Casemiro, Luke Shaw, (Raphael) Varane, Bruno, Antony, (Alejandro) Garnacho, Hojlund. They are all fighters,” stated Ten Hag.