Marcus Rashford Set to Return for Manchester United's Pre-Season Tour

Marcus Rashford is set to step back into Manchester United colours this month, with the forward expected to rejoin Michael Carrick’s squad for the Ireland leg of their pre-season tour and target the friendly against Leeds United in Dublin on August 12.

It will mark the end of a long exile.

Rashford has not played for United since December 2024, when he was withdrawn after 56 minutes in a 2-1 Europa League win at Viktoria Plzen by then-manager Ruben Amorim and then frozen out of the squad entirely. What followed was a career detour: a loan to Aston Villa, then another to Barcelona, where he rediscovered his edge with 14 goals, including the title-clinching strike in Barcelona’s decisive win over Real Madrid in May.

Now, with the World Cup and a turbulent club chapter behind him, the route leads back to Old Trafford.

A Different Manager, A Different Dynamic

The Guardian reports that the plan is straightforward: Rashford will return to United’s pre-season after completing his mandatory three-week break following England’s World Cup campaign. With England reaching the semi-finals, the earliest he can report back for training is around August 10, making the Dublin fixture against Leeds his first realistic chance to feature under Carrick.

This is not a repeat of the Amorim stand-off. There are no indications of any personal or professional rift between Rashford and Carrick. Tribal Football reported earlier this month that Carrick is open to working with the forward, and discussions over his pre-season status have been ongoing behind the scenes at United.

The contrast is striking. Under Amorim, Rashford was a problem to be moved on. Under Carrick, he is at least a possibility.

Market Stalls, Door Opens

Barcelona’s stance underlines how complex Rashford’s situation has become. The Catalan club opted not to trigger their purchase option despite his strong return of 14 goals, instead turning to Anthony Gordon from Newcastle in a £60.7m deal. At the same time, a £40m Premier League exit clause in Rashford’s contract passed without a buyer in early July.

That window has closed. So have some of his options.

United have ruled out another loan to Barcelona and have no appetite to sell below their valuation. With Rashford still earning around £17.5m a year and two years left on his contract, there is no obvious escape route on the table. For now, his future is tied to Carrick’s assessment and whatever response the market has to his performances over the next few weeks.

United’s preference remains clear: a permanent sale at the right price. But to attract that, Rashford needs a stage. Pre-season is about to hand him one.

Dublin as the Starting Line

United’s pre-season has already taken them across northern Europe: Wrexham in Helsinki, Rosenborg in Trondheim, Atlético Madrid in Stockholm, PSG in Gothenburg. The Ireland leg brings Leeds to Croke Park on August 12, followed by AC Milan in Wroclaw on August 15. A week later, United go to Hull to open their Premier League campaign.

That calendar leaves little room for drift. It makes Dublin the natural point for Rashford’s reintegration, the moment he steps back into a United shirt and Carrick gets his first live look at him in this new era. The Milan game, against higher calibre opposition, then becomes the sharper test – a chance to see whether the Barcelona version of Rashford can translate back into United red.

If he is available, those two fixtures will tell Carrick plenty. They might tell the market even more.

A strong showing in Dublin and Wroclaw could jolt interest in the closing weeks of the summer window, especially from clubs who hesitated before that £40m clause expired. A flat return, or another false start, would leave United with a highly paid forward, limited suitors and a manager weighing whether to fold him back into the long-term plan.

For Rashford, who once looked like the face of United’s future, the equation has rarely been so stark. Two friendlies, one uncertain market, and a career at a crossroads as the new season looms.