Coach Ten Hag explained the reason why Marcus Rashford sat on the bench in the big match against Chelsea.

Ten Hag explains the reason for leaving Rashford on the bench against Chelsea

Marcus Rashford has been left out of Man United’s starting lineup against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Before the match, Ten Hag explained the reason for not allowing the 26-year-old to start from the start.

Ten Hag explains the reason for leaving Marcus Rashford on the bench against Chelsea

“I decided to put Marcus Rashford on reserve to rotate to keep him and the whole team healthy for the busy period ahead. We also have another big match this Sunday.”

Marcus Rashford’s absence did not have much impact on Man United’s performance. Winger pair Antony and Alejandro Garnacho are still playing well. In particular, it was Antony who created a beautiful trivela for Garnacho to head in and increase the score to 3-2 for Man United.

However, mistakes in the final minutes of extra time caused Man United to leave Stamford Bridge empty-handed. 2 consecutive goals in minutes 100 and 101 caused MU to lose the match completely.

Marcus Rashford was brought on to the field in the second half to replace Rasmus Hojlund but did not show much. In 24 minutes of play, Rashford touched the ball 13 times, passed 75% successfully and lost the ball 3 times. Despite playing as a striker, Rashford did not shoot or create any opportunities for his teammates.

Losing to Chelsea, Man United is at risk of falling out of the European Cup group next season. In the worst case, MU will not be able to participate in the continental playground at all. That risk is evident when the gap with the chasing group narrows to 3 points.