Pranav Nair
Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard could miss pre-season
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United could be without Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard for the 2020/21 pre-season.
The duo is currently on holiday in Greece. They now face a wait to see if they will have to cut short their trip. Staying on could see them have to undergo a two-week quarantine upon return to England. (h/t Daily Mail)
This will see them miss out on United’s pre-season preparations ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. The Red Devils kick off the new season on 19 September at home against Crystal Palace. (h/t Man Utd)
Despite the new season beginning on September 12, United’s delayed start is owing to their Europa League commitments. The Red Devils saw their previous campaign come to an end in a heartbreaking loss to Sevilla last Sunday.
Rashford and Lingard undertook the trip with United’s knowledge. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has warned his players that they must be available for pre-season training on September 1. (h/t Daily Mail)
This could put our duo’s participation under threat. The mandatory two-week quarantine will come into effect from Saturday if the Government adds Greece to the list of countries to which only essential travel is permitted. The updated guidance could be released later today. (h/t Daily Mail)
According to the report, Greece is expected to be added to the list. This is after they recorded 250 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, their second highest figure of the pandemic.
Rashford’s situation is also a concern for Gareth Southgate. The England manager is planning to pick the 22-year-old in his squad for September’s UEFA Nations League games against Denmark and Iceland. This would not be possible if he was in quarantine. (h/t Daily Mail)
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Given that the pandemic is still going strong, United should have had played a more proactive role in determining where players can go on vacation.
Although they deserve their time off, it must not be in ignorance of the situation at hand. Even under the scenario of there being no quarantine, the prospect of our players contacting the virus is always a risk.
There have been 14 positive tests for Covid-19 across 12 clubs since the resumption of training this week. (h/t Daily Mail)
