Rashford trains normally ahead of Champions League return: Old face, old eyes, an unanswered question

On Wednesday afternoon at Carrington, there was an image that reminded me of how people look at an old clock after it has stopped ticking for almost two years. Marcus Rashford, Manchester United's number 10, ran his normal laps, made normal passes, and flashed a very normal smile. The day before, in the 2-2 draw with Everton, he was substituted in the second half. Head coach Michael Carrick said Rashford was withdrawn after 'feeling a bit of something' – the kind of language football people use to hide what they are not sure about. But this morning, he trained fully, and that, to me, matters more than any official statement from Old Trafford. This is Manchester United's first Champions League match since December 2026. Their opponent is Sabah FK, the champions of Azerbaijan, a name most European fans need to look up on Wikipedia. But for Rashford, this is not just another match. It is another milestone in a comeback few believed would happen. After 18 months on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona, after Barcelona decided not to trigger their option to make the move permanent in the summer, he has returned to the club that raised him from the age of seven. In three appearances this season, Rashford has started United's last two games against Ipswich and Everton. That number does not say much – a 28-year-old forward who once scored dozens of goals per season now counts his appearances like days. But to me, the notable thing is not the number of starts. It is that Carrick, a manager who has only been in charge for a few months, has chosen Rashford for two important matches. People do not bother polishing an old machine every morning unless they believe in it. There is a fragile trust being placed in him. I watched the Everton match, and I saw a different Rashford from the 19-year-old I once saw tearing down the left wing against average Premier League defenders. In the first half against Everton, he moved less, handled the ball safely, as if telling himself that avoiding mistakes would be enough. Then in the second half, before being taken off, there was a moment: Rashford received the ball in midfield, looked up, and then instead of dribbling, he passed it back to a teammate. A small detail, but for a writer like me, it is a whole chronicle. He no longer trusts his dribble like he used to. He trusts safety. On Thursday, with Old Trafford packed, Manchester United will face Sabah FK. The Champions League – the competition that made Rashford one of Europe's best young players in 2026 when he scored against Celta Vigo. But that was a different world. Back then, he was as carefree as a child running on grass. Now, at 28, he walks out of the tunnel carrying the anxiety of a man who has experienced loss. The pressure is not because the opponent is Sabah FK – a team United must beat if they want to think about the knockout rounds – but because expectation has piled into the single word 'return.' From my perspective, after nearly four decades of watching world football, Rashford's problem is not physical. He trains normally, he has good speed, and I see no clear sign of injury. The problem is something else, something people call mental turmoil – the thing statistics never reflect. Over the past 18 months, Rashford has had to learn to see Old Trafford from the other side, from penalty shootouts at Aston Villa to cold benches at Camp Nou. People ask whether football can erase scars. My answer is that football can tear them open again. Carrick understands this. On Wednesday, he decided to give Luke Shaw a rest, calling it a 'designated rest day.' A seemingly minor detail, but it shows how Carrick is managing the team: pushing no one to the limit. But will he do the same with Rashford? On paper, Carrick could rotate, saving Rashford for the big match against Manchester City on Sunday. However, starting him against Sabah FK might be more important tactically: it builds rhythm and confidence. A Rashford who scores against a weaker opponent would be a strategic weapon against City – a side whose defence is sensitive to wing pace. But here is the contrarian angle. Everyone keeps saying Rashford needs to be given the conditions to return to his peak, as if he were a machine that can be restarted. They forget that Rashford is not a 24-year-old like Phil Foden or Bukayo Saka. He is a 28-year-old who was disconnected from top-level football for 18 months. No big club keeps such a player for decoration. Barcelona did not trigger their buy option – that is a clearer message than any spoken word. Rashford is no longer the future; he is the present. And the present does not forgive hesitation. On Thursday, I will sit in front of my screen, following every step Rashford takes. I know Sabah FK will sit back, and I suspect that actually benefits United, because it will leave them space behind. The question is whether Rashford will choose to challenge his defender, run past and shoot – as he has done hundreds of times – or pass back like in the Everton match. That is not a question about tactics, but about whether a person can regain belief after losing it. Can he still hear his heart beating when the ball rolls to his feet? At my age, I have witnessed great comebacks and nameless downfalls. Rashford no longer needs to become a legend – he was already an icon of Manchester United, a man who rose from a council estate and scored at a World Cup. What he needs now is an ordinary match – one where he plays well, scores, and sleeps soundly. But football is never ordinary for those who carry scars. The stadium is empty of people, but the sound of clapping remains somewhere in memory. And when Rashford walks out of the tunnel, I bet he will glance up at the stands – and there, among tens of thousands, an invisible corner will be watching him, as if watching an unkept promise.