Rashford taking his chance

LOUIS van Gaal hopes Marcus Rashford deals with the increased pressure and scrutiny as effortlessly as his first dalliances with the Manchester United first team.

The 18 year old was so far down the pecking order his name didn’t even appear on the back of the matchday programme against FC Midtjylland last Thursday - but the striker ensured he would never be left off again.

Rashford hit two goals as United won , and replicated if not bettered that display on Sunday, scoring another double as title–chasing Arsenal were beaten 3–2 at Old Trafford.

Those performances have transformed the striker from relative unknown to one of the country’s most talked-about players – an amazing rise that has even take his manager aback.

Asked if he could have foreseen Rashford’s impact, Van Gaal said: “No, because he was training with the second team. You shall never know if a player can cope with the rhythm of your team – he needs that chance. He coped very well.”

Rashford’s chance, like with so many others this season, was borne out of necessity due to United’s lengthy injury list.

Van Gaal has revealed it is set to slightly ease when Watford visit tonight in the Premier League, with Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian and Anthony Martial possibly returning.