MARCUS RASHFORD has been left out of the dressing room after insisting he wants to leave Manchester United.
The Wantaway star surprised his teammates on Tuesday by saying he was ready for a “new challenge”.
It came just two days after boss Ruben Amorim left him out of the squad for the derby clash with Manchester City.
United shocked their rivals by coming back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 after scoring twice in three minutes, including an injury-time winner from Amad Diallo.
Rashford, who watched the match from home, later posted a photo on social media congratulating United.
His message resonated with several of his teammates, including captain Bruno Fernandes and defender Diogo Dalot.
But some of the squad were left stunned when the 27-year-old forward gave an unauthorized interview during a surprise visit to his old primary school.
He said: “Personally, I think I am ready for a new challenge and the next steps.”
The comments overshadowed United's victory over City and also disrupted the atmosphere in the camp ahead of Thursday's Carabao Cup quarter-final at Tottenham, which they lost 4-3.
A source said: “Some players are very irritated by what Marcus said and why he chose to say it at the time.
“They were all excited after beating City and then he actually handed in a transfer request after being suspended for one game.
“He doesn't have many good friends in the squad anymore after players like Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard left, so he's quite quiet and doesn't really act like a leader.
“More is expected of him, but he doesn't seem interested, despite having been in the first team for eight years.”
Rashford has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for the club since his debut in 2016 after coming through United's academy.
He signed a £350,000-a-week contract after scoring 30 goals in the 2022-2023 season. But he has struggled to replicate that form, scoring just four times in the Prem this season.
Manager Amorim has left the door open for Rashford's stay.
He said: “This kind of club needs great talent and he is a great talent, so he just needs to perform at the highest level and that is my focus. I just want to help Marcus.
“We are better with Marcus Rashford, that's simple and we will try different things to get Marcus to the best level he has shown in the past. And that's it.”
Rashford, who was also left out of Spurs' selection on Thursday, is fit for United's Premier League match against Bournemouth at Old Trafford today.
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