"We’ve pretty much got the full squad back" - Marcus Rashford makes reassuring claim as Manchester United prepare to return to action after COVID-19 disruption

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford gave a positive update on the squad's status ahead of their league match against Newcastle United.

Speaking to the club's official website, he said:

“The lads have been training and today we brought all the rest of the lads back to training, there are only a couple left that will be coming in tomorrow. So, we’ve pretty much got the full squad back, which is a positive going into the week.”

The Red Devils recently saw their league games against Brentford and Brighton postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak at Carrington. However, the team is expected to play their game against the Magpies as scheduled. Manchester United will face Newcastle on the 27th of December.

New manager Ralf Rangnick is expected to have an almost full squad at his disposal for the trip to Newcastle. Paul Pogba continues to be a long-term absentee due to his muscle injury.

The Red Devils are currently placed sixth in the league table with 27 points against their name. They are five points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, although they have two games in hand.

Rangnick's team won their last two league games by 1-0 margins. If his team can take maximum points from the next two games, they can overtake Arsenal in the league table.

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Marcus Rashford is holding back Mason Greenwood: Paul Parker makes bold claim about Manchester United stars

Manchester United v Burnley - Premier League

Marcus Rashford has been given the nod ahead of Mason Greenwood for both the league games Manchester United have played under Ralf Rangnick. It is in contrast to what happened earlier in the season, where Greenwood fetched more minutes than Rashford.

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker deserves the first-team spot, but has been held back due to the inclusion of Marcus Rashford.

"He’s (Rashford) holding back Mason Greenwood. I think Greenwood needs a run in that team. He’s a young boy, and there are stories about him leaving. That might be drummed up by his agent. I still believe that when you have good young players, they need to play. Because otherwise they will lose their confidence."

Parker added:

"They will look at what they have been doing, they will be looking at what people are doing in front of them and ask themselves questions. When they start doing that, it’s negative and they’ll end up going backwards."