Ten Hag Says Rashford Going to Nightclub Party after United’s Heavy City Defeat Was ‘Unacceptable’

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 29, 2023 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 29, 2023 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)
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Ten Hag Says Rashford Going to Nightclub Party after United’s Heavy City Defeat Was ‘Unacceptable’

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 29, 2023 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 29, 2023 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says it was “unacceptable” for Marcus Rashford to go to a nightclub party after the team's humiliating 3-0 derby defeat at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

Reports emerged the day after the match that the England international, who turned 26 on Tuesday, had gone to a nightclub in Manchester for a pre-arranged birthday party hours after the Old Trafford loss in the Premier League.

Rashford plundered 30 goals for United last season and signed a new five-year deal with the club over the summer, but has struggled this season with one goal in 14 appearances.

“Yes, I am aware of it,” Ten Hag said Friday. “I spoke with him about it. It’s unacceptable, I told him, he apologized and that’s it. For the rest it’s an internal matter.”

Ten Hag repeated it was an “internal matter” when asked if Rashford had been fined for an incident that he says will not impact the forward's availability for Saturday’s crunch Premier League trip to Fulham.

Eighth-place United has lost five of its 10 league games this season.



Arsenal Captain in Final Stages of Recovery from Injury after 2 Months Out

FILE - Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
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Arsenal Captain in Final Stages of Recovery from Injury after 2 Months Out

FILE - Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is in the final stages of his recovery from an ankle injury after nearly two months out, manager Mikel Arteta said Friday.
Arteta said Odegaard wouldn’t play against Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday but didn’t rule the midfielder out of the trip to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
“Now is the stage where he is going to do certain work with us. Let’s see how he deals with pain and if his movement is natural enough,” Arteta said.
“He’s physically now at the level required to compete. With the work rate and hours he has put in, I’d be surprised that the moment he starts training with us, he looks ready. Hopefully soon.”
Odegaard was injured playing for Norway in a Nations League group-stage match on Sept. 9 and Arsenal has missed his creativity and leadership. After collecting just one point from its last two games, Arsenal is in third place, five points behind leader Manchester City.
Arteta said left back Riccardo Calafiori would also miss the Newcastle game because of injury but fellow defender Gabriel will be in contention if he trains well on Friday.