Manchester United are ‘wary of placing too many demands’ on Marcus Rashford, according to reports.
The Sun claim that Rashford is showing ‘increasing signs of tiredness’ as he continues to feature for Jose Mourinho’s first team.
Neil Custis claims that the 19-year-old ‘is hitting the wall around 80 minutes’, and that manager Mourinho is ‘protecting him’ by substituting him before full-time in games.
The forward has played in all but two of United’s ten Premier League games thus far, as well as both games in the EFL Cup, and two of three Europa League fixtures.
He is currently suffering his longest goal drought by far in the senior set-up, having failed to score in the six games since a 4-1 victory over Leicester in September. It is claimed that his drop in form is down to fatigue.
According to Custis, ‘the problem is apparently down to the fact that he is still growing’.
There are increasing demands for the England international to be used in his preferred role as a central striker as Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to struggle, but United are unlikely to grant those wishes.
Mourinho, a manager who many felt would stunt Rashford’s growth, ‘is wary of placing too many demands on the striker at this stage of his development’.