Erik ten Hag accused of 'confusing' Marcus Rashford as Man Utd legend questions decision to 'rotate' in-form forward at Crystal Palace

After struggling for form throughout the 2023-24 season, Rashford finally rediscovered his scoring touch in recent games. He ended a goal drought that had stretched back to March after netting in United's 3-0 victory over Southampton. He followed this up with a brace during United’s dominant 7-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, a performance that many believed marked the return of his confidence and sharpness.

However, Rashford, who seemed primed for a resurgence, was left on the bench until the 61st minute against Crystal Palace as the Red Devils were forced to share the spoils. Ten Hag defended his decision, citing the need for player rotation given the congested fixture schedule, but Rio Ferdinand has questioned the timing of his rotation and criticised the Dutch manager for disrupting the forward's momentum.

On his YouTube show, Rio Ferdinand Presents, the United legend said: "Talking of rotation, following the game against Palace. United are third in terms of xG, only bettered by Man City and Liverpool. So they’re creating the chances but not scoring the goals.

"When you’ve got a man in form like Marcus Rashford, who’s coming into a bit of form and momentum which is key for any player and their confidence, I’m thinking is it the right time now to rotate? We’re creating chances and you take out the guy who is actually starting to score. I just look at that and think, wow. It was pleasing to see the manager come out and say it was rotation, nothing else because there were some murmurings around it. But Marcus Rashford man, I think he will be sitting there thinking 'I’ve just hit a bit of form and they’ve taken me out.' That confuses me, it’s confusing."

However, Ferdinand acknowledged the complexity of the situation, noting that Alejandro Garnacho had also been in excellent form which made Ten Hag's selection dilemma even more difficult.

Ferdinand added: "But then again Garnacho has been one of the most productive players and has been causing havoc. And Amad Diallo is playing well. So it’s a hard one."

As Ten Hag continues to manage his squad’s workload, it remains to be seen whether Rashford will return to the starting lineup when United face Dutch side FC Twente in their upcoming Europa League clash.