Rashford makes Manchester United return after 20-month absence

Marcus Rashford made his first Manchester United appearance in 20 months during a 4-2 preseason defeat by AC Milan in Wrocław, Poland, on August 15, 2026. The 28-year-old forward, wearing the provisional No. 9 shirt, came off the bench as a second-half substitute in the final friendly before the new campaign.

The appearance marked a significant step in Rashford's attempted revival at Old Trafford. He had not played for the club since December 2024, when he fell out of favor under former manager Ruben Amorim. Subsequently, he spent the 2025-26 season on loan, first at Aston Villa and then at Barcelona, where he scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists in 49 matches. With Barcelona not exercising a buy option and no permanent transfer materializing, Rashford returned to United this summer under new manager Michael Carrick.

Carrick confirmed the forward only returned to full training days before the Milan match, having been with the England squad that finished third at the World Cup. "Marcus, Licha [Martinez] and Kobbie [Mainoo] only came back a couple of days ago so they're not quite ready but we can have them for the weekend," Carrick had stated before the friendly.