“He’s absolutely terrible. Just get it out” – According to Manchester United Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United must remove a player who received a low rating of 3 out of 10 and had fewer touches than Onana against Forest.

Manchester United managed to secure a crucial victory on Wednesday against Nottingham Forest, setting up an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool.

After a disappointing result against Fulham in the Premier League and with the Manchester derby looming, Erik ten Hag’s team couldn’t afford another setback.

Fortunately, Casemiro’s late header ensured a hard-fought win, although it had to withstand a VAR review.

Despite the victory, United’s performance was far from convincing, with the makeshift lineup barely doing enough to secure the win.

One notable issue persists for Manchester United due to the absence of Luke Shaw: the lack of a traditional left-back option.

Sofyan Amrabat had to fill in that role in the recent match, highlighting the team’s struggle to find a suitable replacement.

Additionally, the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, who had been in excellent form with six consecutive league goals, continues to be felt.

Marcus Rashford’s performance against Nottingham Forest was lackluster, adding to the team’s concerns.

In terms of Rashford’s recent performances, there were moments when it seemed like the team’s attacking line was starting to click.

Hojlund’s goal-scoring streak was complemented by Alejandro Garnacho’s contributions on the right wing, where the young Argentine scored braces against Aston Villa and West Ham United.

Despite Rashford’s previous success in finding the net in three consecutive league games in late December and early January, his form has dipped recently, especially since returning to a central role.

In the recent match against Fulham and the subsequent trip to Nottingham Forest, the 26-year-old forward failed to make a significant impact as the focal point of the attack, according to Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Against Fulham, he lacked presence, and during the Nottingham Forest game, he had only 31 touches of the ball, fewer than teammate Andre Onana in goal (42).

While some may argue that his lack of involvement was due to receiving insufficient service, analysis reveals that when he did receive the ball, he often failed to make a meaningful contribution. He lost possession 11 times and had a pass accuracy rate of just 71%.

The highly-paid striker notably missed a late opportunity by firing wide when there was a chance to pass the ball across the box to Scott McTominay at the backpost.

Rashford’s performance lacked creativity, as he failed to provide a single key pass or successfully dribble past an opponent throughout the match.

This performance encapsulated what has been a disappointing season for the Manchester-born player, prompting Ten Hag to consider whether Rashford should continue to feature prominently in the team going forward.

With Hojlund sidelined for the foreseeable future, the most viable option seems to be deploying Rashford in the striker role. Standing at 5 foot 11, he scored 11 goals in just 19 games in that position last season, according to data from Transfermarkt.

Despite this, the struggling forward has expressed his preference for playing on the left flank, making it seemingly futile to force him into the center of the attack.

The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell observed that such a decision “once again did not yield positive results” in the recent match.

Even though other options are limited, with Anthony Martial sidelined and young Joe Hugill currently on loan, Rashford should not be immune to being dropped from the starting lineup.

The England international has failed to find consistent form even when deployed on the wing this season, managing just five goals in total.

Throughout the season, Rashford has faced off-field challenges, such as being photographed partying shortly after the previous Manchester derby defeat in October.

With Manchester City, who recently secured a commanding victory over Luton Town, up next for United, Ten Hag should consider benching Rashford on Sunday. This bold move may necessitate another tactical shift in the attacking setup.

As noted by Luckhurst, who gave Rashford a low match rating of 3/10 against Nuno Espirito Santo’s team, Rashford appears to be a mere semblance of the fearless teenager who famously scored twice against Arsenal eight years ago…