Erik ten Hag backs Marcus Rashford to take confidence from recent goals

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is glad to see the likes of Marcus Rashford scoring confidence-boosting goals early in the season.

The Red Devils head to Crystal Palace for Saturday evening’s Premier League clash looking to continue their impressive return from the international break.

United have bounced back from deflating defeats to Brighton and Liverpool by swatting aside Southampton 3-0 and hammering Barnsley 7-0 in the Carabao Cup.

Rashford scored his first goal since March at St Mary’s and then hit a brace against the Tykes, lifting the confidence of a player who lost his way last season.

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“It’s very good, of course, that your strikers, that they are starting to score when the season is very young,” Ten Hag said.

“Strikers, they need that belief, and we have now a couple of players who are, in the meanwhile, on the scoring list.

“It is very good for a team, because that will strengthen their belief, and they will go for more and they will score more goals now.”

Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen joined Rashford in scoring braces on a night when Antony marked his first start of the season with a goal from the spot.

The 24-year-old winger, who joined from Ajax for an initial £80.6million in 2022, had only previously appeared off the bench late in the loss at Brighton.

“I think every player should give those reactions,” Ten Hag said of Antony.

“You have to train hard, you have to perform in training, you have to earn the right to play, and when the moment is your chance, you have to take it.

“But, yeah, the manager can only pick 11 players, and then can make five subs, so make sure you are with those 16 players for every game.

“And you do it by on a consistent basis perform in training, and, of course, that’s the most important when the chance is there you have to perform in a game.

“You have to contribute to a winning team.”

United will check on Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount before the trip south after the pair returned to training this week.

Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Victor Lindelof and Leny Yoro remain absent, but there is nothing like the injury crisis that engulfed the side last season.

Such issues were clear in a 4-0 humiliation on United’s last visit to Palace in May – a moment Ten Hag says is incomparable to now.

“Maybe you can also compare it with the FA Cup final,” he said.

““Don’t compare it because the circumstances in that moment in the season, I would from February on we had to find every time 11 players who can construct a team.

“Now we are in a different place, we have 18 players and we can pick a team.”