- Rashford may have played his last game for Villa after injuring his hamstring
- The 27-year-old has scored four goals since joining Unai Emery’s side in January
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Marcus Rashford is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering a hamstring injury.
The 27-year-old picked up the injury during the first half of Aston Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City and could have played his final game for his on-loan club.
Rashford has scored four goals and provided six assists since joining Unai Emery‘s side in January.
But he was kept out of their 3-0 FA Cup semi-final loss to Crystal Palace over the weekend, with Emery predicting he will be out for ‘some weeks’.
It is not believed that the forward will need surgery, although further tests will be done to determine the severity of his injury.
Aston Villa sit in seventh place, just three points off the final Champions League spot.
Marcus Rashford is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering a hamstring injury
The forward picked up the injury during the first half of Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City
Villa’s loan deal for Rashford includes a £40million option to buy but his future is uncertain
However, having been knocked out of the FA Cup, they only have four games remaining this season, including one against Rashford’s parent side Manchester United.
It is not impossible that he could return in time for their final fixture of the season against Spurs on May 18.
Villa’s loan deal for Rashford includes a £40million option to buy but his future is uncertain.
Asked about Rashford’s future on Friday, Amorim said: ‘All the players that are on loan, they will return and then the club will decide what to do at the end of the season.
‘Yeah, of course (I am pleased about their form). The talent of Rashford, the talent of Antony, all these players, they have to put that on the team. So we are really happy because if you put a player on loan, the best thing for us is for them to perform and they are performing.’
Emery had hinted that Rashford edged ahead of Ollie Watkins in the Aston Villa pecking order
Marcus Rashford returned to Thomas Tuchel’s squad in March after more than a year out
Rashford, who came through Manchester United’s academy, is under contract at Old Trafford until 2028.
However, he is unlikely to return while Amorim remains in charge.
Rashford will also have a say over his next move, and it’s understood that his representatives will not sit down for talks until mid-June at the earliest.
The forward does not want to move to London and is keen to join a club in the Champions League.
Villa’s hopes of qualification suffered a setback when they lost 2-1 to a 94th-minute winner at Manchester City on last Tuesday after Rashford had equalised from the penalty spot.
His camp have also ruled out a player exchange with the likes of Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Eberechi Eze, of Crystal Palace, due to the complexities of a swap deal.
Meanwhile, last week Unai Emery had hinted that Rashford edged ahead of Ollie Watkins in the Aston Villa pecking order as he can play in more than one position.
The on-loan Manchester United star was signed mainly to play as a wide attacker but in recent matches had been preferred to Watkins in the No9 role – much to the frustration of Villa’s top scorer.
Marcus Rashford is unlikely to return to Manchester United with Ruben Amorim in charge
‘You always need two strikers and being versatile is better,’ said the Villa boss. ‘Rashford is versatile.
‘I want to have players like these two as we try to get to the level we want.’
Rashford, who has made 62 international appearances, has earned an England recall on the back of his improved form since leaving United.
He returned to the England squad in March after more than a year out and started in both World Cup qualifiyng wins against Albania and Latvia.
England’s face Andorra in another qualifier on June 7 before hosting Senegal three days later.
