Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim refused to engage in discussions about the continued absence of Marcus Rashford from his side, as the Red Devils suffered their third consecutive defeat on Boxing Day.

Rashford has not featured for United since their Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen in Czechia, following his bombshell interview in which he admitted he is “ready for a new challenge.”

Since then, the forward has missed the last four games, with three of those resulting in defeats for United.

With the team struggling to get results, naturally, the spotlight turned to topics like the absence of key players and the possible reasons behind it. However, Amorim kept his cards close to his chest when asked about Rashford’s situation, particularly given the forward’s underwhelming form this season, having scored just four goals in 15 Premier League matches.

“It’s always the same reason it’s going to be,” Amorim said to Prime Video when questioned about Rashford’s continued exclusion.

Ruben Amorim refused to be drawn on questions over Marcus Rashford’s continued absence

Rashford has missed the last four games since United’s clash against Viktoria Plzen earlier this month. United’s head coach, Amorim, addressed the situation, stating, “We have to be the same professionals, the same guys, winning or losing. Losing, I have to be stronger. I will continue with my idea until the end.”

He further added, “If he’s not here, you can make your mind up,” fueling speculation over Rashford’s exclusion from the side.

The forward’s continued absence has been a hot topic, especially after his interview earlier this month. Amorim may be aware that the best way to quell these discussions is by turning results around, but it’s also crucial at this early stage of his tenure to draw a clear line regarding squad expectations.

As former Manchester United defender Wes Brown noted during Prime Video’s coverage, Rashford’s form has made it challenging to regain his spot in the lineup, especially with players like Amad Diallo thriving under the new regime.

“It’s disappointing again that he’s not in the squad,” Brown said. “It seems the manager has set his terms: ‘If you want to be in the squad, these are the terms you go by – whether it’s training, off the field, whatever.'”

Brown added, “And ultimately, that has not been sorted out yet. It’ll be a very sad day if we do see Marcus go.”

Amorim dropped Rashford for the Manchester derby – which his side went on to win 2-1.

Rashford had an outstanding 2022-23 season, but Ben Foster has claimed the forward has “lost that fire.”

“But ultimately, you have to be on the same wavelength as the manager. I honestly think it’s getting close [to Amorim’s strongest line-up]. I think this is as close as you’re going to get right now,” Foster added.

After scoring 30 goals in the 2022-23 season, Rashford has struggled to maintain that form in the 2023-24 season, with his inconsistency carrying over into 2024-25. Mail Sport reported earlier this month that the club might listen to offers as low as £40 million for the English forward.

Foster, who played for several Premier League clubs including United, West Brom, Watford, and Birmingham, criticized Rashford’s current form, suggesting the £40 million fee might still be too high.

“Marcus Rashford…” he said on his Cycling GK podcast. “There’s so many people that talk about him that say ‘on his day, on his day.’

“His day is once every 10 games. Genuinely, it’s once every 10 games and you can’t have a luxury player in the modern game that will give you one game out of 10, it’s as simple as that.”

“Coupled with the fact that he gets so much reputation and baggage, I don’t think Mikel Arteta wants that anywhere near Arsenal.”

Foster believes Rashford needs to move away from Manchester United and suggested his future could be in MLS, adding that he may need to accept a significant wage cut.

Rashford said last week that he is “ready for a new challenge” in an interview after being dropped from the starting lineup.

“Once that fire goes, can you get that back?” he added. “It has to come from him. I don’t think he can get it back.”

He went on to discuss the impact of money on motivation: “Again, you’re talking about money, which does really ruin everything, lads.”

“Once people have that massive contract and they’ve got that five years in the bank and they’ve got everything they’ll ever need for the rest of their life, that takes it (that fire) away.”

“They were talking £40m, you know, as well. Even £10m, I ain’t paying £10m… because of everything.”