Marcus Rashford has yet to start for Manchester United this season.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has passionately defended his treatment of young forward Marcus Rashford.
The 20-year-old scored twice in two games for England during the international break, and many fans and members of the media are wondering why he isn’t getting more game time for his club.
Mourinho has been regularly criticised for his management of the Englishman, who has not started a game for Manchester United this season, with some pundits suggesting he should look to move elsewhere to help his development.
The Portuguese was quick to leap to his own defence when questioned on the subject in the press conference ahead of United’s Premier League game against Watford on Sunday, relying on statistics to prove his point.
During a press conference Friday, Mourinho argued that Rashford has played 5,744 minutes in 105 games in all competitions over the past two seasons for the club, and suggested that the player was getting more game time than other young English rival.
The Manchester United manager said: “Marcus Rashford is not Dominic Solanke. He’s not Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He’s not Dominic Calvert-Lewin.”
“He’s Marcus Rashford, Manchester United player, with an incredible number of appearances and an incredible number of minutes played at the highest level in the best possible competitions.”
Further statistics also back up the United manager’s claim – Opta data suggests that Rashford has made more Premier League appearances (126) than any player and played more minutes of competitive football (7280) since he made his debut in February 2016.
Mourinho’s latest rant at the media seems to have divided opinion amongst some Manchester United fans, with many voicing their views on Twitter:
Marcus Rashford of Manchester United shakes hands with Manchester United Head Coach
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