Marcus Rashford's Manchester United Reboot Against AC Milan

Marcus Rashford is set for his Manchester United reboot – and the man who sidelined him will be waiting on the opposite bench.

Rashford is in line to make his first appearance for United since December 2024 when Michael Carrick’s side face Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan in Poland this weekend, a pre-season friendly loaded with subtext. The forward’s last chapter at Old Trafford ended under Amorim. His next one may begin against him.

Rashford’s reset

Carrick’s squad drew 1-1 with Leeds United in Dublin on Wednesday, but Rashford was nowhere near the pitch. The United manager explained that the game came too early for the 26-year-old, as well as Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo, who have only just returned to training.

“Marcus, Licha and Kobbie only came back a couple of days ago so they're not quite ready but we can have them for the weekend,” Carrick said.

The message was clear: hold fire now, unleash later.

Rashford, Martinez and Mainoo have been put through intense sessions since rejoining the group. Carrick outlined the plan for the coming days, stressing conditioning and control.

“We trained hard, the boys who came in, Marcus, Kobbie and Licha have trained really hard and we'll have a recovery day tomorrow.

“We’ll all recover tomorrow, train Friday and prepare for the game on Saturday [against Milan]. Again, we'll get the balance right of minutes."

The expectation is that all three will come off the bench in Poland, their minutes carefully managed in line with the approach used for Manchester United players returning from the World Cup. It is pre-season, but not a free-for-all.

Facing Amorim again

Rashford’s path back to the United shirt has not been straightforward. Since his last appearance for the club, he has spent time on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona, trying to rediscover rhythm and confidence away from the glare of Old Trafford.

Now he returns to a new regime and an old storyline.

Amorim, now in charge of AC Milan, was the coach who froze him out before those loan spells. Their reunion, even in a friendly, adds an edge to what might otherwise be a routine summer fixture between two European heavyweights.

For Rashford, this is more than minutes in his legs. It is the first tangible step towards a renewed future at his boyhood club.

Selection puzzles for Carrick

While Rashford, Martinez and Mainoo are being eased back, Carrick has other issues to solve.

Mason Mount, Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko are all doubtful for the Milan game after missing the draw with Leeds. Their absence opens the door for a potentially intriguing midfield pairing: captain Bruno Fernandes alongside summer signing Youri Tielemans from the start for the first time.

If Carrick rolls with that combination, it offers a first real glimpse of how United might look with Tielemans threading passes from deep and Fernandes operating higher between the lines.

Up front, there is another decision to make. Matheus Cunha made his first appearance of pre-season in midweek, adding a fresh option at centre-forward. Until now, Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo have been tasked with supporting lone striker Bryan Mbeumo, a structure that has given United mobility and width around a focal point.

Does Carrick stick with Mbeumo as the spearhead, or hand Cunha a bigger role and reshuffle the attack? Pre-season is where those calls are tested.

What is certain is that all eyes in Poland will drift to one figure on the touchline and one on the pitch: Amorim, the coach who once shut the door, and Rashford, the forward trying to kick it back open.