The international break is well underway and while some of Manchester United’s biggest names are off representing their countries, others in the squad have taken the opportunity to recharge and reset.
Marcus Rashford, who has struggled to find his best form this season, shared a snap on Instagram from Madison Square Garden in New York, where he was courtside for the NBA Cup match between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. Meanwhile, midfielder Casemiro was a little over 1,000 miles away in Florida, taking in the Orlando Magic’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
This down time couldn’t come at a more crucial time for United as the club ushers in a new era under Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese coach arrived in Manchester earlier this week as he succeeds Erik ten Hag in the dug out, and the first game of his tenure is set to be against Ipswich Town after the international break.
The next few weeks will be pivotal for a number of big names in the United squad, particularly the likes of Rashford and Casemiro, who are looking to find form after a frustrating start to the season.
Rashford, despite being a talismanic figure in the early years of his United career, has run hot and cold in more recent times. This season, he has scored one goal and registered one assist in 11 Premier League appearances so far, having started 10 of those games.
Casemiro, too, has struggled to regain the high standards at United that made him one of the best defensive midfielders in the world at Real Madrid. The Brazilian has been in and out of the starting lineup this term, with three of his 10 league appearances coming from the bench.
Amorim’s appointment has injected a fresh sense of optimism at Old Trafford, and the timing couldn’t be better for those in the squad who have struggled for form. United’s lack of consistency places them 13th in the league standings after 11 games, and they sit four points off the top four as things stand.
Not only will the former Sporting CP boss be tasked with propelling the Manchester club up the standings, he will also want to rejuvenate and get the best out of the players who are misfiring.
With the January transfer window right around the corner, the next couple of months will be crucial as Amorim takes stock of his squad. With league games against the likes of Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle, as well as two European fixtures and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham, to come before the new year, it’s a huge chance for the likes of Rashford and Casemiro to prove they can turn things around and that they warrant a place in Amorim’s plans moving forward.
If the international break has been about downtime and resetting, then this next period of the season must be about pushing forward and reasserting themselves.