Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has labelled Marcus Rashford’s exclusion from the squad for the Newport match as an “internal matter.”
The Red Devils officially cited the England international as being unwell for the game.
Further details revealed Rashford’s presence in Belfast on Wednesday, and The Athletic reported his stay in the Northern Irish capital on Thursday evening.
Despite Rashford’s absence, Manchester United secured a 4-2 victory over Newport in the FA Cup fifth round. After the match, Ten Hag faced inquiries regarding Rashford’s omission from the squad.
“He reported ill,” Ten Hag said. “The rest is an internal matter. I deal with it.”
Ten Hag was asked a follow-up question as to Rashford’s whereabouts in the days before the game.
A reporter said: “The club were led to believe that Marcus was only out on Wednesday night but was also out on Thursday night. Do you feel that you have been lied to?”
In response, Ten Hag said, “We will deal with it; I will deal with it.”
The inquiries persisted, and Ten Hag was questioned about the acceptability of players providing false information about their locations. In response, the Dutchman paused briefly before redirecting the focus to the victory over Newport.
Rashford had been a standout performer for United in the 2022–23 season, registering 30 goals across all competitions.
However, his current campaign has seen a decline in form, with only four goals to his name, although two of them were scored in his last three appearances.