United's Rashford Returns to Full Training after Shoulder Operation

Marcus Rashford. (Reuters)
Marcus Rashford. (Reuters)
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United's Rashford Returns to Full Training after Shoulder Operation

Marcus Rashford. (Reuters)
Marcus Rashford. (Reuters)

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford returned to full training after a recent shoulder operation and should be available after the international break, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.

Rashford said in August he had undergone surgery on a shoulder injury, which he picked up during the latter part of the 2020-21 season.

The injury cut short his game time, with the 23-year-old playing only a limited role with England during their run to the Euro 2020 final in July, where they lost to champions Italy.

"Marcus trained fully for the first time today (Friday) with contact," Solskjaer said ahead of Saturday's Premier League home game with Everton.

"There were a few tackles flying in on him and he seemed okay, which was nice to see. Marcus is fit, he's worked really hard, but he's not had any contact (until now).

"If his shoulder can take the contact now, he should be ready after the internationals."

The international break begins on Monday, with United returning to action in the league on Oct. 16 against Leicester City.

Defender Luke Shaw, who suffered a shoulder injury in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa, will undergo a late fitness test for Saturday's game. He also missed Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win over Villarreal due to illness.

"Luke feels better in himself. He's been ill but he's still got the shoulder injury," Solskjaer said. "We've got to make a decision on him."

United are fourth in the league standings on 13 points on goal difference, one point behind leaders Liverpool.



FIFA Opts Not to Suspend Israel but Will Investigate Palestinian Claims of Discrimination

(FILES) A sign of FIFA is seen at the football's World governing body headquarters  on December 17, 2015 in Zurich. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
(FILES) A sign of FIFA is seen at the football's World governing body headquarters on December 17, 2015 in Zurich. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
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FIFA Opts Not to Suspend Israel but Will Investigate Palestinian Claims of Discrimination

(FILES) A sign of FIFA is seen at the football's World governing body headquarters  on December 17, 2015 in Zurich. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
(FILES) A sign of FIFA is seen at the football's World governing body headquarters on December 17, 2015 in Zurich. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

FIFA stopped short of suspending the Israeli soccer federation on Thursday, but asked for a disciplinary investigation of possible discrimination alleged by Palestinian soccer officials.
A senior FIFA panel overseeing governance will separately investigate “the participation in Israeli competitions of Israeli football teams allegedly based in the territory of Palestine,” soccer’s governing body said after a meeting of its ruling Council.
The Palestinian soccer federation has consistently asked FIFA for more than a decade to take action against the Israeli soccer body for incorporating teams from West Bank settlements in its leagues.
The compromise decisions came more than four months after Palestinian officials had urged FIFA to suspend Israel’s membership at a meeting in May.
The request to FIFA's congress in May also cited “international law violations" in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict and directed the soccer body to its statutory commitments on human rights and against discrimination.
FIFA delayed making a decision in May until after a legal review scheduled for July, then pushed back the issue two more times until the meeting Thursday.
“The FIFA Council has implemented due diligence on this very sensitive matter and, based on a thorough assessment, we have followed the advice of the independent experts,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
The latest process follows a pattern — under Infantino and his predecessor Sepp Blatter — of Palestinian requests for FIFA to uphold its legal statutes and the question then being steered toward ad hoc panels and other committees.
FIFA gave no timetable Thursday for the investigations it has not requested.