“There are tiny little things in a game that cost nothing” – Michael Owen explains what Rashford must do to get back to his best at Manchester United

Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen has urged Marcus Rashford to target small gains on the field.

Rashford is on an indifferent run of form and has failed to find the back of the net in his last five games.

His body language has also looked off and many of his tricks are not coming off on the field. The attacker did not feature against Leeds United last Sunday and was used as a substitute in the game before that against Brighton.

Rashford was, however, included in the starting lineup against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, but he failed to shine.

Owen has offered a few words of advice to the attacker and has asked him to build his confidence by targeting small gains on the pitch.

When asked by BT Sport what Rashford should do differently, Owen said:

"I think easy gains. When things are going well, it's easy. Everything is off the cuff, it's natural. I think when you're struggling, go for easy gains, build yourself back into a game. I know if a full-back gets the ball, I know that if I sprint 20 yards and get a block on it and it goes out for a throw-in the crowd are all singing your name."

"If you do, they love that you've put the effort in - you feel better about yourself. There are tiny little things in a game that cost nothing, they're easy gains. It just builds and builds and builds your confidence and all of a sudden you're back where you belong."

"If you just stand there, have bad body language and if you try the impossible all the time you're going to get yourself into a bigger hole and I just thought when the chips are down just go for the easy gains."

Rashford’s form will be a worry for Manchester United

Although Manchester United have depth, Rashford’s form is still a big worry for the club. The Red Devils will hope to go deep in the Champions League and finish in the top four spots in the Premier League.

The likes of Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho have done well in recent weeks, but Manchester United will need others to step up too.

Rashford has scored just five times across 22 games across all competitions, a return not good enough for a player of his caliber.