Manchester United ended up having a solid transfer window, bringing on a total of six players for a combined total of over £200m.
It got off to a slow start and the club ended up paying the price, losing their first two matches against Brighton and Brentford.
Then the club hierarchy sprang into action, and big money moves for Casemiro and Antony followed.
The Rashford Impact
One rumor that persisted until Deadline Day was whether or not Cristiano Ronaldo would leave the club. Despite the best attempts of his agent Jorge Mendes, a move to a Champions League club could not be engineered.
Man Utd get major injury boost with Marcus Rashford winning fitness battle ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby #MUFC https://t.co/42jBKH8quX pic.twitter.com/ynre1rgnVB
– The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) September 27, 2022
The Portuguese did not attend pre-season for personal reasons and that meant United were short on options up front. Christian Eriksen had to play as a makeshift center forward against Brighton and the ploy backfired spectacularly.
Erik ten Hag then called on Marcus Rashford from the Liverpool match and the Mancunian repaid his manager’s faith by scoring the winner as the Old Trafford club emerged victorious 2-1.
And Rashford hasn’t looked back since, starting the next three Premier League games on the trot, scoring two more and adding two assists, as United went on a four-match unbeaten run.
Ten Hag was so impressed with the 24-year-old’s performances that he feels Rashford is a better fit as a striker for his side than Ronaldo and feels the United academy graduate can cross the 20-goal mark for the season.
Rashy’s comeback at the Manchester Derby
It represented a notable change for the Englishman after suffering abuse and loss of form last season.
However, Rashford suffered a muscle injury which subsequently caused him to miss out on playing against Real Sociedad and Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League.
But fans will be pleased to hear that he is nearing full fitness and The Sun has now claimed that “Marcus Rashford is winning his battle to be fit for Sunday’s Manchester derby.”
Ten Hag will be desperate to have a full squad to choose from for this crucial game and Rashford’s availability will boost confidence throughout the squad.
“Rashford is now training again, and feels ready for the Etihad showdown,” the report further stated.
United Matchday Magazine: The best pre-match experienceThe Manchester derby. Ten Hag’s men are ready. this is huge
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