Manchester United Suffer Blow Ahead Of 2021-22 Season; Star Forward Unavailable Until October

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is reportedly set to undergo shoulder surgery ahead of the 2021-22 season.

The surgery could keep Rashford out of action at least until October, reported BBC Sport.

Rashford, who was troubled with a shoulder injury between November and December last year, had a scan Tuesday that showed the damage was extreme and rest alone would not repair it. While Manchester United hoped their star player should undergo the surgery immediately, the surgeon, unfortunately, was not available until the end of July.

Even though the surgery could keep Rashford out for around 12 weeks, which will be a blow to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans for the start of the 2021-22 campaign, the 23-year-old prefers to have surgery this summer to secure a long-term fix, according to The Telegraph.

Rashford’s surgery news appeared on the day his England teammate Jadon Sancho passed his medical at Manchester United. It has been reported that the Red Devils are expected to officially announce Sancho’s transfer this week.

In 57 appearances for Manchester United, across all competitions in 2020-21, Rashford netted 21 goals and provided 15 assists. He finished as the second-highest goal scorer for the Old Trafford side last term after Bruno Fernandes, who scored 28 goals, including 18 in the Premier League. While Manchester City claimed the league title, United finished second in the table, ahead of Liverpool FC and Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Rashford did not make any significant contribution for England at the recently-ended Euros 2020. While he made five appearances for the Three Lions, he spent a total of just 84 minutes on the field. He did not score a goal or set up any. He also missed a penalty in the shootout as Italy defeated Harry Kane’s England 3-2 on penalties in the Euros 2020 final.

Along with Rashford, Sancho and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka also failed to score from the spot. After the game, the trio suffered racial abuse on social media. On Tuesday, Rashford took to social media to apologize for the penalty shootout miss, adding "I will never apologize for who I am and where I came from."