Alan Shearer warns Marcus Rashford ‘he can’t keep wasting his talent’

Rashford missed the FA Cup win over Newport County due to an ‘internal matter’

Alan Shearer has warned Marcus Rashford that he “can’t keep wasting his talent” after the Manchester United forward missed the FA Cup win against Newport County.

Rashford was absent from Erik ten Hag’s matchday squad due to illness, though the Dutch manager subsequently suggested that his exclusion was also due to an “internal matter” that he would “deal with”.

The admission came after reports that the England international had been spotted at a Belfast nightclub the night before being ruled out of training late last week.

It continues a difficult season for the 26-year-old, who has been short of form and scoring touch in an up-and-down campaign for the club.

Rashford was also benched last year for a disciplinary breach, and Shearer has cautioned that he risks squandering his talent if he continues to transgress.

“If it’s an internal matter, you’d think something is up,” Shearer said on the BBC. “There’s a huge talent in there with Marcus Rashford. We’ve seen him be disciplined last season when he was late to a meeting before a game but something is clearly wrong – either at home or in his relationship with the football club.

“He can’t keep doing this, he can’t keep wasting his talent because it’s not right. He needs strong management, someone to get hold of him and tell him there’ll be huge regrets come the end of his career if he continues doing this.

“You can’t keep doing it, it needs sorting now. Thirty goals last season, four this season. When I see him play, it looks like he’s got the world on his shoulders so it needs sorting now because he can’t really deal with it.”

Marcus Rashford was left out of the Manchester United squad against Newport (Getty Images)

A 4-2 win ensured progression to the fifth round for Manchester United, but it was another mixed display at Rodney Parade.

Having surged in front through early goals from Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, Newport hit back to level just after half-time, requiring second-half goals from Antony and Rasmus Hojlund to ensure victory.

They next travel to Molineux to face Wolves on Thursday in the Premier League.