Revealed: Why Marcus Rashford was substituted during Manchester United’s 3-3 Porto draw

Marcus Rashford was substituted at half-time as Manchester United drew 3-3 against Porto away in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Manchester United managed to salvage a point against Porto, thanks to a late header from Harry Maguire.

The match started explosively, with Marcus Rashford opening the scoring before Rasmus Højlund doubled the lead after 20 minutes, both goals benefiting from errors by Porto’s goalkeeper, Diogo Costa.

Read More: Porto 3-3 Manchester United – Five things noticed as Erik ten Hag’s biggest flaw exposed

However, Porto quickly fought back, scoring two goals in just seven minutes. Samu Omorodion and Pepe levelled the score before the first half ended, dramatically shifting the match’s momentum.

In the second half, Porto took the lead with a cutback from their right side that allowed Samu to net his second goal of the night. United’s defence struggled to cope with the pressure.

Bruno Fernandes was sent off for the second consecutive match with 15 minutes remaining. After some impressive saves from André Onana, Maguire finally equalized with a header from a Christian Eriksen corner, securing a point for Erik ten Hag’s side.

Many were surprised by Rashford’s substitution at half-time. Alejandro Garnacho took his place on the left flank for the second half.

The impact was noticeable, as despite Garnacho’s efforts, United’s attacking threat diminished, leading to all three forwards being replaced by the 70th minute.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Ten Hag said that it was due to rotation, with half an eye on the game against Aston Villa on Sunday. “We have to rotate,” he said. “Garnacho, we didn’t start him.

“He had a great game, not only on Sunday, but I think in the whole season. And so we shook them. On Sunday, we have again another hard game, good game. So we need players to be available and be fit and fresh.”

Further, Ten Hag was pressed to confirm if Rashford could have continued playing, to which he refused to answer, simply reiterating that he needs to make sure his players stay fresh.

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