Amorim Confirms Rashford's Availability for Manchester United's FA Cup Match Against Arsenal

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is set to return to action in Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie at Arsenal, manager Ruben Amorim has confirmed.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is set to return to action in Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie at Arsenal, after recovering from illness. Manager Ruben Amorim confirmed Rashford's availability on Friday, saying, “Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are available, they are training and we will see the selection for the game.”

Rashford had been absent from the squad for four consecutive matches before being an unused substitute in United's home defeat to Newcastle United on December 30th. He then fell ill and missed their 2-2 draw at Liverpool last week. The England international's future at United had been uncertain after he expressed his desire for a “new challenge” in mid-December.

Amorim first dropped Rashford for the 2-1 derby win at Manchester City in mid-December, two days before Rashford's comments sparked speculation about his future. With 138 goals in 426 appearances for United, Rashford has established himself as a key player since his senior debut in 2016, winning several honors including the Europa League, two FA Cups, and the League Cup twice.

When asked about potential academy player departures in the January transfer window, Amorim emphasized his desire to retain top talent. “Our idea is always to keep the best players and to build for this club, but I am really happy and I like our players. My players are always my favourites so I want to keep my players. It is a special moment in this club.”

Manchester United are seeking to continue their FA Cup success, having won their 13th title last season. Only Arsenal, with 14 wins, have lifted the trophy more times. United manager Ruben Amorim expressed his desire to build on this success, saying, “We won some cups, we want to continue. We know at this stage we have a really tough match but we want to win.”

Ruben has his say on the speculation surrounding our young talents 👊#MUFC || #FACup

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 10, 2025

United's goalkeeper selection for the FA Cup clash against Arsenal has been confirmed, with Altay Bayindir set to start ahead of Andre Onana. Bayindir, the 26-year-old Turkey international, has started all three of United's League Cup ties this season but faced criticism for errors in the 4-3 loss at Tottenham. Amorim justified his selection decision, stating, “I don't rotate (the squad) because I want to rotate. I'm trying to find the best solutions to win the game. I put the guys in who are more fresh to cope with the demands of the game. The goalkeeper position is different, Altay will play.”