Marcus Rashford to decide on shoulder injury surgery after Euro 2020 ends

The striker has appeared off the bench for the Three Lions in all three games so far

Marcus Rashford will decide whether he needs an operation on his shoulder after Euro 2020, potentially putting him out of the start of Manchester United’s season. The 23-year-old said there was “no chance” he was getting one during the 2020-21 campaign as he didn’t want to risk missing out on key games for his club or the European Championship, having admitted last week that he was playing through pain.

Rashford also conceded that he was conscious he hasn’t been performing at his best, which has led to him starting Euro 2020 on the bench.

Directly asked whether there was a physical reason, the forward said: “I don’t think that’s a secret to be honest with you. I think it’s quite well known and to get to this stage where I am now, it was a massive aim of mine back at the beginning of the season. So, like I said, I’m happy, I’m prepared mentally and physically for the games.”

That may well require an operation.

“I have to decide after,” Rashford said. “It’s my shoulder but I’m not 100 per cent sure if I need it yet, so I’ll just take it as it comes. I’ll finish strong here and, like I said, I’ve got a few weeks off to just relax and decide what I’m going to do.

“The doctors have not said yet. The reason I don't know is that when the season was going, and before I came here, I knew there was no chance I was going to be getting the operation so I did not know how long the operation would put me out for. I never bothered to ask the question. I am fully concentrated on here. When the tournament is finished then I will ask the question.”

Rashford is content with his role in the England squad, and says he is ready to snap into action and potentially provide that one key moment. He said the fact Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell had to be put into self-isolation altered some perspectives, not least the feeling on how fixed the team is.

“In tournament football it is the reason why you need a good squad. It is impossible for 11 players to play 90 minutes for seven games in such a short space of time. Everybody has to be ready. Then you get something like we had with Mason and Chilly – out of the blue, they both tested negative afterwards, but it is a situation where somebody else has to be ready for the next game. It has not shaken us because we know what can happen, but it is a little bit [of a reality check]. There have been zoom calls with them in the team meetings.

“Obviously I am not performing at my best and what I know I can perform to. Whatever that is down to, it doesn’t really matter because it has been going on since early on in the season. I managed to get through the season with United. I think I had 36 goal involvements so I can’t look back at the year and say ‘mmm, I should have taken time off to do this and do that.’ That’s just not the way I look at things. I just want to be available for every game.”