Rangnick tells Rashford his "next step" to overcome Man Utd struggles

Ralf Rangnick has told Marcus Rashford he simply needs to translate his training form into matches in order to overcome his current struggles.

The Manchester United forward is performing well below expectations currently having endured a mixed campaign.

He returned with a bang from injury back in October, but has seen his form dip since as he and his side seek consistency.

Rangnick is the man tasked with getting Rashford back to his best and has witnessed first hand what he can do at Carrington.

Now the German simply wants the 24-year-old to focus on taking his quality from training to the matchday and backed his continued selection of Rashford in the starting XI.

He said: "Right now he is trying to find his best possible shape and performance and we are just trying to give him that helping hand with everything we can, showing him video footage and speaking with him regularly.

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"In training, he is in top form and shape and that is why I played him.

"But now it's about transforming that performance from training into the league and this is the next step he has to take.

"By the way, we had a very similar situation with Jadon six or seven weeks ago and he is the best example about what can happen, it's the player himself who has to perform and get the best out of his own performance.

"This is the same for Marcus now."

Rashford has scored five times this season with his last strike coming in the late win over West Ham last month.

United's attacking options are such that competition within the squad is high.

Jamie Carragher claimed after Rashford's performance against Atletico Madrid in midweek that he was not deserving of a place in the first-team.

The player turned pundit believes the academy graduate is yet to go up a level despite his obvious potential.

He told CBS Sports : "Marcus Rashford has been in this team since he was a kid.

"He burst onto the scene and he's always threatened to go to that next level, when the top players get to, and he's not there yet.

"We've got to the stage now where I don't think he should be in Manchester United's XI. His performances this season don't warrant being in the team."

Rangnick has the likes of Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga all eyeing starting roles at Old Trafford.