‘Marcus Rashford fitness claim issued under Unai Emery at Aston Villa’
Marcus Rashford has been told what he must do in order to play more regularly under Unai Emery at Aston Villa by Glenn Murray.
The former Crystal Palace and Brighton striker believes the England international must improve his fitness if he is to get more game time at Villa Park as he is being outstripped my teammates in a key requirement.
Rashford was linked with a number of clubs in the January transfer window after his exile from the side at Man United.
That came after Rashford had fallen out with Man United manager Ruben Amorim, with Villa Park proving to be his next destination.
Having completed that move, the 27-year-old will now be looking to enjoy more game time than he was previously getting at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford sent message over game time under Unai Emery
The 27-year-old has impressed since making the move to Villa Park, including with his contribution off the bench as Aston Villa beat Chelsea on Saturday (22 February).
However, Rashford has still only started once for Emery‘s side, with the rest of his appearances for the club coming as a substitute.
| Marcus Rashford vs Chelsea | Stats (from SofaScore) |
| Minutes Played | 45 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Pass Success Rate | 94% |
| Successful Duels | (2/4) |
Now Murray has warned the attacker that he is going to have to improve his fitness levels if he wants to get the game time he will be aiming for at Aston Villa.
The former striker did though also admit that Rashford does look happier now that he has completed his move away from Man United.
Speaking on Sky Sports Soccer Special (25 February, 7.16pm) about the England international’s performances so far for Aston Villa, Murray said: “I wouldn’t say he’s back yet, definitely more positive, and when he’s playing he’s impacting the game in a positive manner without any doubt.
“I quite like how he works with [Ollie] Watkins, how he can flip into that nine [striker position]. Watkins is just as comfortable going out to the left.
“Listen, I think he [Rashford] needs to get his fitness up, I don’t think his high-pressing actions are as good as others on the pitch so that’s something that he needs to work on if he’s gonna play regularly for Emery. But definitely, Marcus Rashford looks a lot happier.”
Aston Villa opportunities will surely come for Marcus Rashford
Football Insider Verdict
It is understandable that Rashford has been forced to wait for more starts since linking up with Unai Emery’s side.
The attacker had not played for several weeks prior to his departure from Man United, so he is unlikely to have been match fit when he joined Aston Villa.
As a result it makes sense that he may need some time to gradually work his way up to the point where he can start on a consistent basis.
Regardless of that, if he continues to produce the performances he has been from the bench, Emery will no doubt be keen to get him in the starting XI as soon as he can.
With Aston Villa still competing in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, there should be plenty of matches where he can indeed do that.
Of course, an underwhelming performance from Emery’s side in a 4-1 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Tuesday (25 February) in which Rashford only came off the bench will further his claims for a starting spot.