Erik ten Hag has insisted Marcus Rashford’s half-time withdrawal throughout Manchester United’s draw with Porto was right down to a necessity for rotation, not an announcement on his efficiency.
United are nonetheless looking for their first Europa League win of the marketing campaign, after Harry Maguire’s late header salvaged a 3-3 attract Porto on Thursday.
After the Crimson Devils went 2-0 up by way of early objectives from Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, a strike from Pepe and a brace from Samu Omorodion had put them getting ready to one other humiliating defeat.
To cap United’s frustrations, captain Bruno Fernandes was proven a pink card for a second successive recreation after additionally being dismissed in Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Tottenham, having by no means beforehand been despatched off in any of his first 241 video games for United.
It was the choice to substitute Rashford for Alejandro Garnacho, although, that dominated post-match speak, with no United participant matching Rashford’s eight touches within the Porto field or three profitable dribbles all recreation, regardless of his early withdrawal.
Talking to TNT Sports activities after the sport, Ten Hag mentioned: “We now have to rotate. Garnacho, we didn’t begin him, however he had an amazing recreation not solely Sunday however the entire season.
“We go shortly with a turnaround to Villa and so they have had a day longer to get better and we have now an away recreation.”
Rashford now has 14 objectives within the Europa League, shifting him outright fourth within the all-time UEFA Cup/Europa League charts amongst English gamers, behind solely Martin Chivers (22), Alan Shearer (21) and Jermain Defoe (19).
Requested in regards to the substitution once more in his post-match press convention, Ten Hag added: “Yeah, however Garnacho was my greatest participant on Sunday by far and in addition in lots of different video games.
“I feel within the season, as I assess it up to now, he’s bringing us up to now the offensive menace by creating possibilities, assists, additionally scoring.
“Garnacho we additionally must play as nicely and we have now two excellent gamers over that aspect.”
Pushed on whether or not the choice had something to do with Rashford’s position in Porto’s first objective, which got here down the England man’s flank, Ten Hag mentioned: “I’ve to look at it again and I feel over the left aspect undoubtedly we didn’t defend nicely tonight.
“Marcus additionally performed an element on this however, as I say, it needed to do with Garnacho and nothing towards Rashy.”
