Manchester United: Three key things Ralf Rangnick needs to address during the international break
The Red Devils need to bounce back from their Champions League exit and push for a top four finish in the Premier League.
Manchester United have just nine games remaining in the Premier League to secure Champions League football next season.
The Red Devils were knocked out of the Champions League last-16 by Atletico Madrid and will be looking to bounce back when they face Leicester City on 2 April.
Ralf Rangnick’s side currently sit sixth in the table, four points behind fourth-place Arsenal who have a game in hand.
A significant number of the German’s squad are away on international duty, but several players still remain in Manchester and continue to train ahead of the clash with the Foxes.
This break allows Rangnick and his coaching staff the time to assess those not away with their nations, but also to decide what the club needs to do in order to finish in the top four come 22 May.
Let’s take a look at three things the United boss needs to address during the international break.
Harry Maguire’s place in the squad
Harry Maguire is currently on international duty with England despite poor form at club level this season for the Red Devils, a decision a lot of fans were confused by.
He didn’t feature for the Three Lions against Switzerland on Saturday and could sit out of their game against Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
When he returns to United, Rangnick needs to decide if Maguire still has a place in his team, especially with the defender looking affected by his on-going criticism.
Clarify what’s going on with Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford is another member of the Red Devils squad who is struggling with his form this campaign and was not part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
The forward, who has five goals in 26 appearances in all competitions, made little impact when coming on as a 67th-minute substitute for United in their loss to Atletico.
This, added with the rumours he wants to leave Old Trafford this summer, needs to be addressed by Rangnick, especially with Rashford’s recent performances.
Does Luke Shaw deserve to start?
The competition between Luke Shaw and Alex Telles for the starting left-back position has been an interesting one, with the latter earning a good amount of game-time under Rangnick.
Shaw scored in the Three Lions’ win over Switzerland and could look to use this as a way to break back into his club’s starting 11, while Telles didn’t feature for Brazil in their 4-0 victory over Chile on Thursday.