Marcus Rashford made his long awaited Manchester United return in a 4-2 preseason defeat to AC Milan, a result that exposed defensive issues Michael Carrick must address before the Premier League opener at Hull City.
United twice took the lead in Wroclaw through Harry Maguire and Patrick Dorgu, but AC Milan, now managed by former Old Trafford boss Ruben Amorim, responded on each occasion and eventually prevailed with room to spare.
Three of Milan’s four goals came from close range, and with no VAR in operation, replays suggested that one of them may have been offside. Ruben Loftus-Cheek completed the scoring with a powerful run past Lisandro Martinez, finishing past goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who had earlier done much to keep the damage within bounds.
There were no fresh injury concerns from a preseason that included six matches. Mason Mount, however, is still absent after what was initially described as a precautionary foot issue in Gothenburg seven days ago; he has now missed almost three full games.
The defensive structure gave Carrick greater cause for thought. When Milan switched play to the right, Luke Shaw, who played the entire 90 minutes, was left with too much space to cover and insufficient assistance. The spaces between United’s defence and midfield were not wide, but they were not controlled effectively, leaving gaps for the Italians to exploit. Andrey Santos, so impressive in the first five friendlies of the summer, had an afternoon that exposed his inexperience.
“We are disappointed with today,” Carrick told MUTV. “We didn’t play very well. There are no excuses.”
The day also belonged in part to Marcus Rashford. Introduced as one of six substitutes with an hour gone, the 28 year old made his first appearance since the Europa League encounter at Viktoria Plzen on 12 December 2024. After that match, he was frozen out by Amorim and subsequently spent loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona, from which he was not expected to return.
United officials were keen to emphasise that the number nine shirt Rashford wore in Poland was not a permanent switch, presumably to avoid confusion among supporters. Rashford looked settled, applauding the fans during an early warmup only for Samuel Chukwueze to tap home Milan’s first equaliser at the same end moments later.
He emerged for his second half warmup later than most of his fellow substitutes, exchanging passing tricks with Martinez, who had faced him in a World Cup semi final a month ago. When he entered, he positioned himself wider than Patrick Dorgu, the player he replaced. His first run ended with a foul, but he soon produced a superb piece of skill at the corner flag to evade an opponent, drawing applause from much of the crowd.
It was a solid return, nothing more, nothing less. The matches at Hull and against Ipswich will provide greater clarity about Carrick’s plans, while the transfer deadline on 1 September is likely to resolve the uncertainty surrounding Rashford’s future.
For now, Rashford’s comeback offers encouragement, but the defensive frailties on show in Wroclaw are the immediate concern for Carrick.
