What happened to Marcus Rashford? Manchester United striker doubtful for Carabao Cup final

Erik ten Hag hasn't been able to provide assurance over Marcus Rashford's availability as the forward hobbled off the pitch against Barcelona in the Europa League. Rashford failed to score in the match and now there is a big question mark about whether he will feature against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final. United will compete for their first trophy of this season when they take on Newcastle in the League Cup final on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

Erik ten Hag will only have two days to prepare his side for the much-anticipated clash and the manager delivered a worrying fitness update for the Red Devils supporters. On being quizzed about Rashford's fitness the former Ajax manager, replied, "I don't know."

Will Marcus Rashford play in Carabao Cup final?

“Players are now coming in [to Carrington], we have to do investigations, medical [checks]. Straight after a game you can't say, you have to wait for medical [checks].”

He however confirmed the unavailability of Anthony Martial. "No, he will not be available."

If Rashford doesn't make it in time, ten Hag might opt to use both Jadon Sancho and Antony in both the flanks. Antony netted the winner against Barcelona and could be on the cusp of another historical goal in the Carabao Cup final.

Rashford posted a cryptic story on Instagram where he shared his picture with a cautious smiley. The 25-year-old will be determined to keep himself ready for the final. 

The Manchester United manager insisted they will be playing for the trophy against the Magpies. "It's great.  "As you have seen, see we take every game seriously, we take every competition seriously, so we've now progressed to a final and it's great to play a final. But if you play you want to win.

"It was a good feeling, that unified feeling, really together. It was good. So a great opponent, because it's one of the best teams in Europe, Barcelona, a typical way of playing, and if you can beat them it's great.

"Sunday is a challenge again but totally different. It's also great to play them, to find a way to play against different styles, different systems. Every time you want to beat them, every time you want to find a good strategy and plan to beat opponents."