Ruben Amorim sidelines young striker Marcus Rashford before the Manchester derby

Marcus Rashford has been omitted from the Manchester United squad for the important derby match against Manchester City, alongside Alejandro Garnacho. 

Ruben Amorim announced his 19-man squad for Sunday’s game at the Etihad Stadium, and Rashford's absence comes after a performance in the Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen that did not meet expectations, leading to his early substitution in the second half.

Amorim benches 'Underwhelming' Rashford 

Ruben Amorim's action comes just a week after reports indicated that Manchester United is prepared to part ways with the underperforming forward in January. Notably, Garnacho was also excluded from the squad as United aims to clinch their first victory at the Etihad Stadium against City since 2021.

Rashford delivered a goal in the last Premier League derby clash between the two teams, while Garnacho's early goal was pivotal in leading United to triumph over their rivals in the 2024 FA Cup final. A source within United confirmed that the choice to omit these players was a strategic decision. The manager, Ruben Amorim, asserted that neither of the two youngsters was injured, and he omitted both on account of the overall assessment.

"I pay attention to everything, the way you eat, the way you put your clothes to go to a game. Everything. I make my evaluation and then I decide. There is a communication after the last training. They are alright. They had training this morning and I was there. They trained really well." Amorim said.

Rashford netted the opening goal of the Amorim era at Ipswich and followed it up with a brilliant brace in the emphatic 4-0 victory over Everton.

United has placed Rashford’s market value at approximately £40 million. It’s highly unlikely he’ll transfer to another Premier League club; the most probable destination is Paris Saint-Germain, although a move to Saudi Arabia is also being speculated.