Marcus Rashford looks increasingly likely to stay at Man Utd beyond the summer transfer window.

Marcus Rashford is smiling in almost every photo in this week’s Manchester United training gallery.

Rashford did not expect to be in this situation when he signed for Barcelona on loan, which included an option to buy. Nor did United, who hoped Barcelona would exercise their option to sign him for £26million.

Barcelona, however, might have done United a favour if Rashford can play at his best under Michael Carrick, which seems possible given their history. “He’s a very good player. Marcus can offer us so much,” said Carrick this week.

Everyone will be smiling if Rashford can perform consistently. But it’s a big ‘if’. Rashford was consistently inconsistent in the years leading up to his departure from United, but the concerns around his potential reintegration are more centred on his discipline.

Rashford had plenty of chances before Ruben Amorim finally decided he’d seen enough. There was the trip to a nightclub after an embarrassing defeat against Manchester City, which Erik ten Hag branded “unacceptable”, and the boozy jaunt to Belfast, for which Ten Hag wanted to exile Rashford before deciding it would be detrimental to the team’s success.

Ten Hag was privately furious with Rashford for that particular incident. Rashford soon ran out of chances as Amorim decided enough was enough. But there has been another twist.

Carrick is probably the only United boss who would have considered reintergating Rashford. He appears to have happily thrown the academy graduate a lifeline at a time when it’s a risk to do so.

Carrick is building a good thing at Old Trafford. He won more points than any other manager in the Premier League during his interim stint, and wants to improve again in a season in which United will return to the Champions League.

Advertisement

There is optimism about where Carrick could take this team – hopefully to a first league triumph since 2013 – but welcoming back a player whose commitment wasn’t good enough threatens to damage the spirit in the dressing room.

Everything has been fine since Rashford’s return, and Carrick has been pleased with his application in training, while his teammates clearly seem happy about him being part of the squad again.

Noussair Mazraoui was asked about United’s new signings by ITV after the Leeds pre-season friendly on Wednesday night, and he said Rashford would be a “big one”. Rashford was not mentioned in the question, but it spoke volumes that Mazraoui namechecked Rashford in his answer.

Mazraoui looked sheepish as he realised his quote would make headlines. “Of course, he could leave,” he clarified, but it looks increasingly likely that Rashford will stay.

Rashford contributed 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions for Barcelona, and he looked sharp for England during the World Cup, so United will be boosted if he can perform to those levels.

It almost seems inevitable that Rashford will do well this season, but it will be difficult to say whether reintegrating him, if it happens, was the right decision, as history has shown he can get embroiled in disciplinary issues at any moment.

Hopefully Rashford has turned a corner and wants to make the most of an unexpected second chance at his boyhood club. Hopefully there will be no discipline issues. Hopefully he bangs in the goals and all is forgotten.

Advertisement

There is one good reason to think that’s possible, and it’s down to the environment Carrick has created since his return to United. He exudes calmness, the team feels settled and there are no signs of turbulence ahead.

That is important context when analysing Rashford’s situation, as he put some of his struggles down to being in an “inconsistent environment for a very, very long time” when he spoke about his career last year.

“So it’s even more difficult to be consistent,” he added. “I think consistency is what I need to bring into my game and I’m looking to do that. Obviously, I want to be at my best, not sometimes, but as often as possible.

“When people talk about consistency, in order to be consistent in anything, not just sports, you need consistent variables like in your life. And in the way you train, and we’ve just had so many changes so far in my career.

“But, like I said, I have to look forward, and that’s definitely one of the things that I’d want to put right and improve on, to be at my best more often. Because when I’m at my best, I really enjoy everything about the sport, so, yeah, being there is a special thing for me.”

Rashford must take responsibility for the chain of events that led to his United departure, but there is undoubtedly blame on both sides, with instability having been rife at United over the last few years.

Everything is different now that Carrick is in charge. He has brought calm back to the club, and his depth of understanding, combined with his personality, might be why the Rashford plan does not go wrong if he stays at the club.

Katsina United have come under criticism for returning to action less than 72 hours after the tragic death of their player, Chinedu Ozor, during a pre-season match.

Ozor collapsed and died on Tuesday during Katsina United’s game against Niger Tornadoes in the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-Season Tournament.

Just 48 hours later, the club announced that it would play another match on Thursday against Cynosure U21. The game eventually ended in a 1-1 draw.

The decision to continue with the match has sparked criticism from football fans, with many questioning why the club and organisers could not allow the team a short break to mourn Ozor and recover from the shock of his death.

The Gusau/Ahlan Pre-Season Tournament is not a league competition where points and fixtures are at stake. Fans argue that the organisers could have postponed the match for a day or two to give the players time to grieve and regain their emotional strength.

For many supporters, the biggest concern is that some of Ozor’s teammates may still be struggling to come to terms with what happened.

It also meant that some of the players had to return to the same football environment where their teammate collapsed and died only two days earlier.

One fan wrote: “This is not a league match. Why the rush? Give the players time to mourn their teammate and recover from the shock.”

Another said: “Football should come second at a time like this. The organisers could easily have given Katsina United a few days off.”

A supporter questioned the decision to play so soon, saying: “Less than 72 hours after losing a teammate on the pitch, these players are expected to play again. This is unfair to them emotionally.”

Another fan wrote: “The Gusau/Ahlan tournament is only a pre-season competition. What would have been lost by postponing Katsina United’s match for two days?”

A different supporter added: “The club may have had reasons for accepting the fixture, but the organisers should have shown more compassion. These are human beings, not machines.”

Some fans also criticised the decision to return to the pitch at the same venue where Ozor’s tragic incident happened, saying the players should have been given more time away from football.

Katsina United, however, acknowledged the pain surrounding the team’s return and said before Thursday’s match that their thoughts remained with Ozor’s family, teammates and loved ones.

The club said it was mourning with the family and praying for strength and comfort during the difficult period.

The criticism comes as Katsina United continue to make arrangements to transport Ozor’s remains to his hometown for burial.

The tragic death has left the Nigerian football community in mourning, with many fans now calling for greater attention to the emotional wellbeing of players following traumatic incidents.

For the critics, the issue is not about stopping football altogether. Their argument is simple: this was only a pre-season tournament, and a short break to mourn a fallen teammate would not have hurt the competition.

Ireland’s Kate O’Connor sits in second place after two events of the women’s heptathlon at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The Newry-born 25-year-old claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games and made a good start to her bid for further success on Friday, one point off Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schubert who leads with way with 2135 after the morning session.

Germany’s Sophie Weissenberg sits in third on 2074, while Switzerland’s Annik Kalin is a further 20 points back.

O’Connor recorded a personal best in the 100m hurdles, finishing fourth in heat two with a time of 13:30 to come in 11th overall.

The race was won by Lithuania’s Beatrice Juskeviciute with a season best 13:09, ahead of Italy’s Sveva Gerevini and Weissenberg.

In the high jump, O’Connor again produced a personal best of 1.86m which was matched by Sulek-Schubert.

The heptathlon resumes on Friday evening with the shot put at 19:35 BST with the 200m to follow at 20:55.

Andrew Coscoran secured his place in the final of the men’s 1500m, finishing fourth in his heat with a time of 3:41.86, while a disappointed Cathal Doyle lodged an appeal after falling in his heat, yet finished the race.

Both Ireland’s men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams missed out on a place in their respective finals with the men just one second off the national record.

The World Test Championship is back, and India are on the road once again! They haven’t had to travel far, though, since Sri Lanka are the hosts of a two-Test series across Galle and Colombo. The first Test will start on Saturday, August 14 at the picturesque Galle International Stadium.

Both teams won’t be at full strength. The home side will be without star batters Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, while India will miss the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan. Nevertheless, an interesting series filled with talented names beckons.

Sri Lanka haven’t won a home Test against India in a while. In fact, it’s been quite a few years since the two-time World Test Championship finalists even toured the island nation. It’ll be interesting to see how the two teams fare.

India’s updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi.

Sri Lanka’s squad for the Test series against India: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

SL vs IND 2026: Conditions in Galle a relative unknown as India start favorites

The Galle International Stadium used to produce turners, but its nature has been unpredictable in recent times. It has become more batting-friendly in recent years, while a bit of rain is also on the forecast for the first Test.

Taking those factors out of the equation, it’s still easy to say that India are the favorites for this contest. The challenge posed by Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis is a notable one on a turner, but their numbers haven’t been particularly impressive on flatter surfaces. Moreover, the Sri Lankan pacers don’t have a great record in home conditions.

India’s batting unit has a few weaknesses, but their bowling makes up for it. The returning Ravindra Jadeja adds balance, while Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav are incredibly threatening bowlers. The pace attack has performed well, too.

Sri Lanka have had some plucky displays in the longest format in recent times, but India can be expected to come out on top in the opening game of the series.

Prediction: India to win the 1st Test vs Sri Lanka.