Why is Marcus Rashford not in the England squad? Reason for Man Utd star's absence explained

The Red Devils forward has 46 international caps to his name, but he has been overlooked in Gareth Southgate’s latest selection

England will be in international friendly action against Switzerland at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, before then playing host to Ivory Coast on Tuesday, but Marcus Rashford will not be figuring in either of those fixtures.

The Manchester United forward has represented his country on 46 occasions, scoring 12 goals, but will not be adding to his collection of Three Lions caps any time soon after being .

Why has the Red Devils star been overlooked and could his place in plans being drawn up for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year be under threat? GOAL takes a look…

Why is Marcus Rashford not in the England squad?

The 24-year-old has been a regular for England since bursting onto the scene as a teenager in 2016, with appearances made at two European Championships – including a Euro 2020 final against Italy – the 2018 World Cup and UEFA Nations League finals.

His in the 2021-22 campaign – on the back of becoming an MBE for his charity work off the field – and Southgate is looking for a proven performer to rediscover a spark at Old Trafford before being welcomed back into the international arena.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐁𝐄 👏Rashford has been appointed an MBE for services to vulnerable children in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.

— GOAL (@goal)

The Three Lions boss has said of his decision to snub Rashford: “I think it is important, perhaps after this camp, for me to go and sit with him and find out a bit more about what is going on.

“We know he is desperate to do well.

“I think Marcus is very realistic. He knows he is in a situation where he has not been getting in the United team consistently and he will be searching as much as anybody to get that form back.

“We all believe he can be an asset for his club and for his country.

“With one or two of our players in the past, who have had dips and come through them, you can say, ‘look, they came through that, they responded well and became more strong and they showed the character needed’.

“That is what he is going to have to prove now in the coming weeks and months. Nobody’s career goes smoothly from start to finish and of course his rise from when he first broke into the team at United was incredible, really.”

How many goals & assists does Marcus Rashford have in 2021-22?

Southgate is right to suggest that Rashford needs to knuckle down at club level and once more.

Both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho miss out on the England squad for friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

— GOAL (@goal)

A home-grown academy graduate at Old Trafford has started only 10 Premier League games this season and has not completed a 90-minute outing for the Red Devils in 2022.

He has in total this term, with a .

Only five goals, the most recent of which came on January 22 against West Ham, and two assists have been recorded across 26 appearances in all competitions and he has not turned out in the colours of his country since being introduced as an extra-time substitute late on in the Euro 2020 final – an outing in which he .

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Competition

Appearances

Mins played

Goals

Assists

Premier League

19

936

4

2

FA Cup

2

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168

0

0

Champions League

5

258

1

0

Table correct at time of writing on 22/03/2022

He will be desperate to make amends for his failure from the spot, particularly at a major tournament, but the clock is now ticking for him as the countdown to the 2022 World Cup continues.

That event is due to get under way in Qatar on November 21 and Rashford will need to force his way back into contention for UEFA Nations League fixtures across June and September in order to secure himself one of 23 much sought-after tickets that are set to be handed out by Southgate.