Why 'fit' Rashford played only 15 minutes this international break

Marcus Rashford, the talented Manchester United forward, only featured for a mere 15 minutes across England's recent international fixtures.

England's manager, Gareth Southgate, shed light on the decision to keep Rashford on the sidelines in favour of Anthony Gordon during the friendly against Belgium.

During England's recent matches, manager Gareth Southgate opted to give Anthony Gordon an opportunity, leading to Marcus Rashford spending most of his time on the bench.

Southgate had this to say about the tactical move: "No, I wanted to see Anthony Gordon again. I thought he had an excellent impact in the first game and I thought that [James] Maddison coming into that area could open things up for us a bit." This sheds light on the reasoning behind Rashford's limited playing time.

This season has been a challenging one for Marcus Rashford, both at the club and international level. With significantly reduced goal-scoring numbers compared to the previous season, Rashford's form has been scrutinized.

Despite being a subject of transfer rumours, especially with interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United's stance on retaining Rashford has been clear.