Ruben Amorim sends message to Marcus Rashford after impressive Aston Villa form

Ruben Amorim says he is ‘happy’ to see Marcus Rashford impressing at Aston Villa and insists his upturn in form is ‘good news’ for Manchester United.

Rashford scored his first goals for Villa in Sunday’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Preston.

The England international has chipped in with four assists for Unai Emery’s side but had been waiting for his first goals since leaving Old Trafford on loan during the January transfer window.

Rashford had been a mainstay in the Manchester United team for the best part of a decade – making more than 400 appearances for his boyhood club – but was frozen out by Amorim.

Amorim publicly criticised Rashford’s output in training and sanctioned his move to Premier League rivals Aston Villa in January.

Villa are not obligated to sign Rashford on a permanent transfer but may decide to enter into negotiations with Manchester United if the 27-year-old continues to contribute.

United could of course choose to keep Rashford at the club but that would require a U-turn from Amorim, who is ‘happy’ to see the forward looking in better shape at Villa Park.

‘We have a lot of games to play and I am focused on my team and my players and Marcus is not my player at the moment,’ Amorim said at his pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon when asked about Rashford’s form for Villa.

‘But every player that performs well on loan is good news for my club so I am happy with that.’

Rashford said it was a ‘great feeling’ to register his first goals since December 1 and admitted he was ‘enjoying his football’ at the Midlands club.

Aston Villa are gearing up for a mouth-watering finale to the season ahead of a FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace and a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

‘It’s a great feeling,’ Rashford told BBC Sport. ‘It’s always nice for a forward to get a goal, so hopefully it continues.

‘I feel like I’ve been getting fitter and playing better football since I’ve been here. I missed a lot of football before joining up with them. My body feels good and I’m enjoying my football for now.’

Emery has been reluctant to discuss Rashford’s long-term future at Villa and has insisted he still has ‘work’ to do to get to the required level.

‘We can’t waste time speaking about that,’ Emery said after Aston Villa booked their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

‘If next year we are in the Champions League, in the Europa, or Conference League or not. Or we don’t win a trophy – it is completely different.

‘There is still work, still weeks to get it, but today he did one step forward. He is feeling comfortable, getting confident and scoring goals.

‘He was obviously getting better, but today it was more in his adaptation and helping us.

‘He’s playing in the idea, in the plan we did with him. He has played more as a winger on the left side but he’s played in some moments as a striker.

‘Today we decided to play him as a striker to his quality, his power and the way he exploits things.

‘The process we have with him is more or less not changing. There is still work to do because he came here after not training consistently and not feeling in his best fitness.

‘Progressively playing more and with the national team will help him to feel better and today was confirmation of that, which is good.’

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