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Michael Carrick must not make Marcus Rashford mistake after Man Utd loss to AC Milan Manchester United stars including Harry Maguire and Youri Tielemans have all thrown their support behind Marcus Rashford. Barely a single interview from the Manchester United camp this week has gone by without the name Marcus Rashford cropping up. The returns of the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez, and a reunion with former boss Ruben Amorim, have been reduced to mere footnotes in a week utterly dominated by Rashford's comeback. Rashford was absent from the squad that drew with Leeds at Croke Park on Wednesday, yet he made his first United appearance since December 2024 on Saturday, coming on as a second-half substitute during the defeat to AC Milan. The former Barcelona loanee looked sharp and primed to make a meaningful contribution to the United cause next season, should he remain at Old Trafford beyond the transfer window. Harry Maguire was quizzed on what Rashford could bring to the side following the 4-2 defeat to Milan. "He can improve us, for sure," said Maguire. "I think when you seen when he come on, he threatens the back line really well. He could have even scored for us." "He's a huge threat to have in your team. So if he's going to stay with us, obviously the transfer window is still open, but we hope as players that he stays and he's a big asset to have. "I've played with Marcus for numerous years and I know that playing against him, playing with him in training is going to help us." Maguire joined Youri Tielemans and Noussair Mazraoui in voicing his backing for Rashford. Both Tielemans and Mazraoui spoke glowingly about him, with the latter praising Rashford's attributes when responding to a question that made no reference to the forward whatsoever. All three are evidently thrilled to have a player of Rashford's calibre in their ranks, with Tielemans going so far as to say "you want that type of player in your team". The difficulty is that nobody can say with any certainty that Rashford will still be part of the United setup when the transfer window shuts on September 1. EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page While the players and Michael Carrick are more than content to have him in the squad, United remain open to the prospect of offloading the forward. Should a suitable offer materialise - as improbable as that may now appear - Rashford will in all likelihood be sold. United's plans to bring in a new left winger have been put on hold, and as the transfer deadline draws ever nearer, should Rashford depart, it is hard to envisage United securing a replacement of comparable quality in such a brief period. Everyone at United seems to have accepted that Rashford will remain at the club for the 2026/27 campaign. There is no question about the threat he poses, and it is something his team-mates are eagerly anticipating witnessing first-hand. Yet should a prospective buyer come knocking with a bid United consider acceptable, Rashford will more than likely be heading for the exit. After a week of listening to United's players and manager express their delight at working alongside Rashford, offloading him at this stage would be a mistake. It's one Carrick shouldn't make this late in the window.