Marcus Rashford dropped! Erik ten Hag benches struggling England star as Antony is given the nod for Chelsea showdown

Rashford has been dropped by United manager ten Hag after his dismal performance against Newcastle. The beleaguered Dutchman has instead brought Antony into the team, with Alejandro Garnacho on the left flank. Centre-back Raphael Varane, who has often been overlooked of late, is absent with a sore back.

Rashford has been on a dire run of goal-scoring form and has netted just twice in the Premier League all season, with just one of those strikes coming from open play. As a result, Ten Hag has opted to go for players who can bring more defensive solidity, after being disappointed with the England international's contribution against the Magpies.

Ten Hag explained the decision to Amazon, saying: "We play bad as a team, so we can't blame individuals for it. It's part of rotation, we have a very good, energised front line and everyone needs to be ready as a team."

He will hope to fight his way back into his manager's plans, with a busy festive fixture list to contend with. United play six more games this month following the clash with Chelsea, so one has to imagine Rashford will be needed.