Marcus Rashford: Manchester United forward says shoulder surgery 'went well'

Man Utd confirmed last month that Rashford would undergo surgery in an attempt to resolve a long-term shoulder issue; the England forward is expected to miss at least the first two months of the season

Tuesday 10 August 2021 16:21, UK

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has confirmed he has undergone surgery on his shoulder and that the procedure "went well".

The club confirmed last month that Rashford would undergo surgery on the problem, which the 23-year-old previously admitted had hampered him during the second half of last season.

The England international could be back training within five weeks of surgery but it would be approximately 12 weeks until he returned to action, potentially ruling him out until late October.

"Thank you for all the well wishes," Rashford posted on Twitter.

"I had my surgery on Friday morning and everything went very well. A little sore but other than that I'm feeling good."

Rashford, who made five substitute appearances for England during their run to the Euro 2020 final, wanted the operation done straight after the Euros but was made to wait for the availability of the requisite surgeon.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side kick off their Premier League season at home to Leeds on Saturday, while England have five World Cup qualifiers during the period Rashford could be absent for.

United said: "It remains to be seen when Marcus will return to action and we wish him well in his recovery."

Rashford: I need to listen to my body

When his surgery was announced on July 30, Rashford posted on social media explaining why he had chosen to undergo the operation, stating that in order to guarantee he can play football for as long as possible, he must listen to his body.

Rashford said: "When I was 11 years old, Manchester United helped me and my family out of a really difficult situation. I will always feel indebted. When the club needs me, I'll be there.

"Any role I can play in helping my boyhood club I'm going to do it. Even to my detriment at times.

"Having been out of the game recovering from the double stress fracture, and having spent a lot of time away from teammates and staff who'd been a part of my life for as long as I could remember, I needed to feel a part of something again. I needed to feel like I was playing my part.

"I've read some call me selfish for holding off getting the surgery this season but it was never about putting myself first and that's how we've reached this point, and something as a 23-year-old I've had to learn the hard way.

"To guarantee I can play this game as long as possible I need to listen to my body. Everyone has an opinion but no one knows my body better than me.

"It's hard to describe the feeling of representing your country. Given the choice, no one would ever turn that down at such a big tournament. As a little boy or girl you dream of those moments. I had been deemed fit for the full season, and given my injuries were being managed, what was another couple of weeks?

"Managing the pain I was training well and found a lot of comfort in the England camp after the Europa League final. On hindsight, if I had known I wouldn't have played a significant role in the Euros, would I have gone? Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it…

"I didn't want to let anyone down but ultimately looking at some of my performances towards the end of last season I felt like I was. When I step on the pitch I always give 100 per cent. Physically my 100 per cent just wasn't possible. I'm walking away from last season with 36 goal contributions, but more importantly I'm walking away with lessons learnt.

"We live and we learn as they say but what is never in doubt is my commitment to the club and the national team. It's been a hard one but I'm coming back physically and mentally stronger."