Revealed: Could Marcus Rashford play if Manchester United draw Aston Villa in the FA Cup?

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford completed a shock move to Aston Villa on the weekend and will spend the rest of the season at Villa Park.

Marcus Rashford had not played for United since early December after admitting to being open to a new challenge in an interview.

The club’s no.10 has been available for loan throughout the January transfer window and preferred a move to Barcelona, who were interested in signing him.

However, the Spanish team were unable to provide the funds to cover the player’s salary due to the lack of exits from the Camp Nou, which left United and Rashford looking for an alternative move.

Aston Villa came in for the 27-year-old, with Unai Emery pushing for a deal, and an agreement was reached for Rashford to spend the rest of the season there.

Rashford has explained that he wants to help Villa in the Champions League this season after they qualified for the knockout stages.

But the Villains are also in the FA Cup fourth-round after beating West Ham in their opening game of the competition. They face Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.

FA Cup holders United also remain in the competition after a stunning victory against Arsenal at the Emirates in the third-round and face Leicester City in the next game.

Could Rashford play against United in the FA Cup?

It is well known that loaned players cannot play against their parent club in the Premier League. Jadon Sancho was unable to face United this season, for example.

The same can be considered for Rashford when United face Villa on the final day of the season, but the rules around cup competitions are not always clear.

Firstly, Rashford is eligible to play for Villa in the FA Cup and will be able to make his debut against Spurs in the competition on the weekend.

Rashford is not cup-tied as he was not involved for United in their third-round victory over Arsenal.

However, FA Cup rules would not allow the England international to play against United if the two teams faced each other in the later stages of the competition.

“The Association will not give permission for players on loan or work experience to play against the lending club,” the competitions rules state.

The latest major example of this came when Manchester City played Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final where Tommy Doyle and James McAtee were unable to play for The Blades due to being on loan from the Etihad Stadium.

Rules are different for the Carabao Cup, where loaned players are allowed to play against their parent club if they get permission.

However, United and Villa have both been knocked out of the competition by Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace respectively.

Read More: Jadon Sancho’s two-word verdict speaks volumes as Marcus Rashford addresses Aston Villa loan

In any case, Rashford would have been cup-tied for Villa in the Carabao Cup, as he appeared in wins over Barnsley and Leicester City for United earlier this season.

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