Marcus Rashford is expected to return to Manchester United training in the coming days as debate continues over whether that is a good thing or not.

When Marcus Rashford was unveiled by Barcelona in July 2025, at the start of a season-long loan, no-one expected he would find himself back at Old Trafford 12 months later. "[Manchester United] is in a period of change and have been for a while," the forward said at his Barca unveiling last summer. "I don't have anything bad to say as it has been an important part, not just of my career but my life, so I was grateful for the opportunity. I wish them all the best and hope they are successful in the future." If his return to United is in line with the club's other World Cup players, who have all come back about three weeks after their final game in the tournament, he will be involved in next week's Maynooth training camp in the Republic of Ireland. Should that happen, his first game could be against an AC Milan side managed by former boss Ruben Amorim, in Wroclaw on 15 August, depending on what his current manager, Michael Carrick, views as the wisdom of Rashford featuring against Leeds at Croke Park on 12 August with just a couple of days' training behind him. At virtually every stage of the past year, the expectation was Rashford would not spend the 2026-27 season at Manchester United. He scored 11 goals and made 14 assists as Barca won the La Liga title, the Spanish Super Cup and reached the Champions League quarter-finals. When Barcelona decided not to activate the £26m clause to buy the 28-year-old, whose United contract expires in 2028, it was thought to be a negotiating tactic, aimed at taking Rashford on another loan.