Mason Mount has been backed to improve on a disappointing first season at Manchester United by Dimitar Berbatov, who feels the midfielder needs to take more risks in his play.

Mount joined the Red Devils from Chelsea in a £60million move last year but failed to make an impact in his first campaign at Old Trafford, which was marred by injuries and inconsistency.

He only made 14 Premier League appearances in 2023-24, being limited to five starts and just 513 minutes as United finished a disappointing eighth in the Premier League.

Mount only managed one goal involvement in those matches – a goal in a 1-1 draw at Brentford in March – and created just six chances.

Berbatov, who won two Premier League titles, the EFL Cup and the Club World Cup with United between 2008 and 2012, expects more of the midfielder this campaign.

"The first season was disappointing for him and something to forget. But he can learn from that and what he can learn is to get better," he said in an interview with Futbin.

"If you give him the opportunity he has to go out and give the best he can. He didn't manage to do that last season, unfortunately. 

"But the talent and the quality are there. Everybody saw what he did at Chelsea, but he didn't produce it at United."

Berbatov does feel Mount needs to show greater self-confidence if he is to nail down a spot in Erik ten Hag's team, adding: "My only wish for him is to get through the thought that he is new and that he doesn't want to take responsibility.

"It is his second season now and he needs to have a good season. This is the moment to make or break, so he has to go out there and be brave. 

"Take some chances and risks. He has the quality, so don't be afraid, Mason."

Marco Silva thinks Fulham "did not get the points he thought they deserved" as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in their Premier League opener.

The Cottagers looked a threat on the counter-attack but lacked a clinical edge in the final third as they wasted chances to take the lead.

Bernd Leno kept them in the game by making big saves in both halves before United debutant Joshua Zirkzee proved the difference in the 87th minute from close range.

While Silva admitted there were positives to take from the performance, he was ultimately left frustrated by the missed chances that cost them.

"It is really tough for us to lose this game the way we lost," Silva told Sky Sports.

"We started really well. I think the first two dangerous moments were from ourselves. The first one we should have scored, a really dangerous attack from us.

"We had our chances. When you play against Manchester United...there were moments, and we had to punish them.

"We had so many moments, and we were punished at the end of the game. It was a crazy game, and we did not play our own game. It was an emotional game, we tried to rush many, many times.

"We did not get the points I thought we deserved."

Fulham managed 10 shots in the match, though only tested Andre Onana twice, with Kenny Tete forcing a good save out of the goalkeeper with one of those in the first half.

Andreas Pereira also squandered two opportunities on the break with loose passes, and Silva is keen to fine-tune certain aspects of their performance.

"Of course, when you have two against one you should at least finalise the action and put your teammates in the right action," he added. "But it was not just that one, we had other really good moments and should have scored.

"We have to keep the emotional control in these types of games. We know they are strong and want to play this type of game. It's always their strength when the game is broken and the space is there. We should have kept the balance and emotional control.

"But it was a good answer from the team overall. It was a tough summer when you lose five players - four of them starting players. But I knew the players were good enough to play in this way."

Joshua Zirkzee is not feeling any pressure as he looks to make his mark at Manchester United.

Having come on from the bench to make his United debut, Zirkzee scored in the 87th minute to seal a 1-0 win over Fulham on Friday in the first Premier League match of the 2024-25 season.

Zirkzee joined United from Serie A club Bologna in July, and with Rasmus Hojlund injured, swiftly made an impact at Old Trafford.

And the former Bayern Munich attacker knows it is about as good a start as he could have asked for.

Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "It's the perfect one, no? In front of the Stretford End. And a win as well, it couldn't be any better.

"It's been very good [since I arrived]. The group have been amazing, I feel very comfortable and at home here. I'm having a very good time.

"Of course it's a big club, but we just work hard every day and focus on what we want to achieve, and that's being the best we can be. At the moment I don't really feel any pressure.

"I look forward to working with everyone here. That includes all the staff. Everyone has been great.

"Of course having Ruud van Nistlerooy in the staff as a striker, you have to be grateful for that. Everyone has been great, it's a pleasure to be here."

Following Zirkzee's winner this evening, 22 players have now scored in their first Premier League appearance for United, with only Chelsea (27) and Aston Villa (26) having more debutant scorers in the competition's history. 

Zirkzee, meanwhile, is the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut, and the fourth to do so while at United, after Van Nistelrooy, Alexander Buttner and Donny van de Beek.

His goal came from his only attempt on target.

"It was very important to get the first goal as a striker," said manager Erik ten Hag.

"For him it is very pleasing because strikers have to score. That is the first ability you have to show when you come as a striker to a new club."

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are "not ready" for the start of the Premier League season ahead of their opener against Fulham on Friday.

The Red Devils had a mixed pre-season, winning just two of their five games and losing the other three, before narrowly missing out on penalties in the Community Shield after a 1-1 draw with Manchester City last weekend.

Ten Hag was also unable to work with his full squad during their tour of the United States due to players getting extended breaks following their involvement in the Euros and the Copa America.

Having recently brought Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to the club on Tuesday, the Dutchman admitted United have not had a lot of time to gel as a group before their first Premier League match.

"It's true [new players need time], it's not the pre-season where in five to six weeks you work on a team, it's very complicated," he said in his press conference.

"The USA tour squad, and then we added the players at Euros and Copa America and now new signings, and we have to make a team from it.

"That team is not ready, but the league starts, and more managers have this problem.

"Still, we have some room, have some principles, and we have to make a start. We can't hide, we have to deal with it.

"We are not at 100% form, but we have to go from game to game to improve and to get higher performance levels in the team and in individual players. We will see how quick we can go with this process."

In two seasons in charge, Ten Hag ended the club's six-year trophy drought by beating Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final in 2023 before clinching the FA Cup against rivals City in May.

Despite failing to hold onto their lead to claim the Community Shield last Saturday, Ten Hag is eyeing more silverware with the club this season.

"Not so different but "We know our targets; we know our direction.

"[Our expectations are] always very high, we want to go for trophies." 

Bruno Fernandes has signed a new Manchester United contract and believes his "best moments" for the Premier League giants are "still to come".

Fernandes joined United from Sporting CP in January 2020 for an initial fee of around £47million (€55m) and was an instant hit at Old Trafford.

The Portugal international scored 12 goals from midfield in that first COVID-hit campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before netting 28 across all competitions in his first full season in England.

Fernandes has gone on to tally 79 goals in 234 games for United, contributing 67 assists while creating more chances in the Premier League than any other player since his signing in 2020.

Having helped United to win the EFL Cup and return to the Champions League in 2022-23, Fernandes was named captain by Erik ten Hag at the start of last season.

It proved a difficult campaign for the Red Devils but ended with Fernandes in inspired form as his side beat rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final, securing silverware and European football once again.

Now, on the eve of a new Premier League season, Fernandes has committed his future to United, agreeing a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2027 with the option of a further year.

It has been reported the new terms will bring his salary in line with United's top earners.

Fernandes' performances have more than justified that status, yet he is confident United fans will see even more from both he and the team in the coming years.

"Everybody knows the passion I have for Manchester United," Fernandes told the club's media channels.

"I understand the responsibility and significance of wearing this shirt and the levels of dedication and desire required to represent this incredible club.

"I have had so many special moments here already; hearing my name sung from the Stretford End, scoring a hat-trick against Leeds, leading the team out at Old Trafford on European nights and lifting trophies at Wembley.

"But I wouldn't have signed this contract if I didn't believe that my best moments in a United shirt are still to come.

"From my discussions with the football leadership and manager, it is clear how determined everyone is to fight for major trophies in the years ahead.

"I can see how positive the future is going to be, and I am relishing leading this team forward."

Erik ten Hag wants his Manchester United squad to use their Community Shield loss to Manchester City as motivation against Fulham in Friday's Premier League opener. 

Ten Hag's team almost started the season with another trophy, but fell to defeat in a penalty shootout at Wembley after Alejandro Garnacho's strike had given them the lead.

Bernardo Silva levelled late on for Pep Guardiola's City side, with Manuel Akanji scoring the decisive spot-kick after Jonny Evans' miss from 12 yards. 

“We are disappointed," Ten Hag said. "We have to feel the pain and everyone feels the pain. That's a good signal, but I also see some positives.

“We performed well, we could've won that game, we were twice leading in the game and in the penalties, but we lost, and we're disappointed. But we take the positives.”

The Red Devils have since bolstered their defensive ranks, with Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui joining from Bayern Munich, but they will be without the injured Luke Shaw. 

It was confirmed on Tuesday that the full-back will miss the start of the season after sustaining a calf injury in pre-season training. 

For Fulham, they will be hopeful of maintaining their impressive opening day form, having lost their first Premier League match in just two of their last nine seasons (four wins, three draws). 

Marco Silva's tenure has featured a promotion and two comfortable campaigns in the top flight, and they have regenerated their squad in the transfer window after losing star midfielder Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich.

Emile Smith Rowe and Ryan Sessegnon's arrivals have improved their forward line, and they will be confident of starting the season strongly at Old Trafford. 

The Cottagers prevailed on their last visit to M16, winning 2-1 back in February, but captain Tom Cairney acknowledged a stern challenge awaits them.

“For the quality of their squad, you could argue they’ve been a little bit hit and miss,” Cairney said. “It was amazing for them to win the trophy at the end of last season.

“If they’re on, if they’re firing on all cylinders, it’s a tough night for us.

"They’ve got quality throughout the squad, Champions League winners, but Marco will definitely gear us up to go there and try and win."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United - Bruno Fernandes

In the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, United will look towards the attacking talents of captain Bruno Fernandes to provide that creative spark in the final third. 

Fernandes finished as the Red Devils' joint-top scorer in the Premier League last season with 10 goals in 35 appearances, while also creating more chances in the division than any other player (114). 

The United captain has scored four times against Fulham in his seven games against them in all competitions, only scoring more against Everton (five), Leeds (six) and Aston Villa (seven) of the English sides he has faced. 

Fulham - Emile Smith Rowe

All eyes will be on Fulham new boy Smith Rowe following his £34million switch from Arsenal, with the possibility of joining a select few players should he find the target. 

Smith Rowe scored on his only Premier League start against United at Old Trafford in a 3-2 defeat during his time with Arsenal in December 2021. 

Only Darren Bent (Fulham and Tottenham), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Tottenham) and Frank Lampard (Chelsea and West Ham) have scored away against the Red Devils with two different London clubs in the Premier League. 

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN

United have lost just four of their 34 Premier League meetings with Fulham (24 wins, six draws), but one of those came in their most recent encounter back in February.

Ten Hag's side have struggled versus sides from the capital, losing their last three home games against teams from London. Should Fulham emerge victorious, it will be the first time since a run of five between December 1985 and September 1986 that United have lost four consecutive games against London clubs. 

But the Red Devils start their campaign in front of their home supporters for the eighth season in a row, becoming the first in Premier League history to start a season with a home game in eight seasons consecutively.

Fulham, however, will be out to cause an upset. They won two of their final three Premier League away games last season (one draw), as many as they managed in their first 16 on the road in 2023-24 (five draws, nine defeats).

Following their victory in Manchester in February, Fulham are looking to win on consecutive league visits to United for the first time. They’ve faced them at Old Trafford in their opening league match three times previously, losing all three (0-1 in 1950-51, 2-3 in 2001-02 and 1-5 in 2006-07).

And there is no better man to lead them out than Silva, who is unbeaten in his last nine opening day matches (three wins, six draws), with his last such defeat coming in the Primeira Liga with Estoril in 2012-13 (1-2 v Olhanense).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Manchester United - 58.5%

Draw - 20.9%

Fulham - 20.6%

Manchester United have confirmed that Luke Shaw will miss the start of the Premier League season with a calf injury.

The left-back sustained the injury in pre-season training and is set to be out until at least the September international break.

He is expected to miss the Red Devils' matches against Fulham, Brighton and Liverpool.

Shaw struggled with injuries last season and was limited to just 15 appearances in all competitions and missed the last three months of the campaign with a hamstring problem.

However, he recovered from that injury in time to represent England in the latter stages of Euro 2024.

United are also still without long-term absentee Tyrell Malacia, leaving Erik ten Hag without a natural left-back, though new signing Noussair Mazraoui, who joined from Bayern Munich on Tuesday, can also operate on that side. 

Manchester United have bolstered their defence with the arrival of Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich, the club confirmed on Tuesday. 

The defender is reunited with former manager Erik ten Hag, signing a five-year contract with the Red Devils in a deal reportedly worth around £42million.

De Ligt made 73 appearances in all competitions in two years at the Bundesliga giants, scoring five goals in that time.

He finished the season strongly, but struggled with injuries at the start, with his absence keenly felt in the league as Bayern conceded an average of 1.8 goals without him in the starting line-up compared to 1.1 with him.

De Ligt was a key figure at Ajax during Ten Hag's tenure and was made the youngest-ever captain in the club's history during that time.

The defender posted an emotional letter to Bayern supporters on social media after ending his stay with the Bundesliga side. 

It read: "Dear Bayern fans, I want to thank each and every one of you for all your love and support. I have spent two amazing years playing for this beautiful club.

"It has been a true honour to have played for a club like Bayern Munich. We have achieved unforgettable moments together. Winning the title as well as several amazing CL- nights. These memories will stay with me forever.

"This is why leaving this club feels bittersweet. I will always remember the love and support I have received from the players, the staff members and from the fans.

"The recent petition signed by so many of you has touched me deeply. Thank you all for the two amazing years. I wish FC Bayern good luck winning many more titles, like Bayern has always done. Mia San Mia.”

Manchester United have bolstered their defence with the arrival of Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich, the club confirmed on Tuesday. 

The defender is reunited with former manager Erik ten Hag, signing a five-year contract with the Red Devils in a deal reportedly worth around £42million.

De Ligt made 73 appearances in all competitions in two years at the Bundesliga giants, scoring five goals in that time.

He finished the season strongly, but struggled with injuries at the start, with his absence keenly felt in the league as Bayern conceded an average of 1.8 goals without him in the starting line-up compared to 1.1 with him.

De Ligt was a key figure at Ajax during Ten Hag's tenure and was made the youngest-ever captain in the club's history during that time.

The defender posted an emotional letter to Bayern supporters on social media after ending his stay with the Bundesliga side. 

It read: "Dear Bayern fans, I want to thank each and every one of you for all your love and support. I have spent two amazing years playing for this beautiful club.

"It has been a true honour to have played for a club like Bayern Munich. We have achieved unforgettable moments together. Winning the title as well as several amazing CL- nights. These memories will stay with me forever.

"This is why leaving this club feels bittersweet. I will always remember the love and support I have received from the players, the staff members and from the fans.

"The recent petition signed by so many of you has touched me deeply. Thank you all for the two amazing years. I wish FC Bayern good luck winning many more titles, like Bayern has always done. Mia San Mia.”

Jadon Sancho retains the faith of Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag despite his penalty miss in Saturday's Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.

United were on course to win their third piece of silverware under Ten Hag when Alejandro Garnacho gave them an 82nd-minute lead at Wembley Stadium.

However, Bernardo Silva's 89th-minute header took the game to penalties, and both Sancho and Jonny Evans failed to convert from the spot as City triumphed 7-6.

Sancho spent the second half of last season on loan at former club Borussia Dortmund after a public falling out with Ten Hag, who accused the winger of being a poor trainer in the aftermath of a defeat to Arsenal last September.

Ten Hag said he had drawn a line under the incident after Sancho rejoined the United squad for pre-season training last month, and Saturday's penalty – which was pushed onto the post by Ederson – will not impact his thinking.

"I had no doubts about him," Ten Hag said of Sancho after Saturday's game.

"He's a very good penalty taker and today he missed, but that's part of the game. I am sure in the future he will take penalties."

United have now been Community Shield runners-up on 10 occasions, more than any other club.

The Red Devils last won the trophy under Jose Mourinho in 2016, beating then-Premier League champions Leicester City 2-1 with goals from Jesse Lingard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United "have to hurt" after suffering a penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield on Saturday.

Alejandro Garnacho had given the Red Devils the lead in the 82nd minute before Bernardo Silva's equaliser seven minutes later forced penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Both sides had a spot-kick saved to force sudden death before Jonny Evans' missed penalty set up Manuel Akanji to secure the trophy for Pep Guardiola's side with a 7-6 victory in the shootout.

United also had a Bruno Fernandes goal ruled out for offside, while Marcus Rashford hit the post, and though Ten Hag was largely pleased with the performance from his side, he admitted that made it tougher to accept the result.

"Tough result to take," Ten Hag told ITV. "When the performance is right, when you lose, everyone feels this.

"It hurts in your stomach. You have to feel pain and we have to hurt. We have to take this belief into the league.

"We managed to be on an equal level with Man City and got Rashford high on the pitch and good defending. We created chances, we got pressure on the ball and in possession we had some very good chances from this, so there are many positives we can take.

"We did very good to produce the second goal in the FA Cup final before half-time and weren't able to do that here."

Rashford had the most chances for United but failed to hit the target with any of his three shots as he generated an expected goals of 0.72.

After a prolific first season under Ten Hag, the winger struggled for form last year, netting just eight goals in all competitions.

Asked if he thought Rashford was low on confidence after failing to test Ederson, Ten Hag brushed concerns aside, instead looking at the positives in his performance.

"No, I think he was several times in very good positions, I am very pleased he is getting in those positions,” he said in his press conference.

"Keep going and keep getting in those positions, and he will score goals."

Erik ten Hag warned Manchester United may suffer from a slow start to the season as the Red Devils attempt to get up to speed for the new campaign.

United face fierce rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, having overcome the same opponents at the same venue in the FA Cup final back in May.

That cup victory somewhat eased the mounting pressure on under-fire Ten Hag, whose Red Devils finished eighth in the Premier League last season, their worst-ever position in the competition.

Ten Hag is expecting another difficult start against City, and then when Fulham visit Old Trafford for their league opener, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho and Lisandro Martinez missing United's pre-season tour of the United States due to international commitments.

"I can see this because we didn't have time together," the United manager said ahead of the season opener at Wembley.

"We have to work on our game model to find the patterns. It was a break, they all played Euros, Copa America so they were in different teams, with different game models and different patterns.

"Now we have to bring this together. It is complicated. I am not the only one who has to deal with this problem but there are also teams with less international players, they can make a proper preseason so they are probably ahead of us.

"We have to deal with this in the coming weeks without dropping points."

Ten Hag will be without new defensive signing Leny Yoro and Rasmus Hojlund for the start of the season due to injuries.

Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all doubtful to face Pep Guardiola's side, leaving Martinez, Jonny Evans and Diogo Dalot as United's only fit senior defenders.

Yet the Dutchman remains confident of overthrowing United's dominant neighbours once more.

"We know already we can beat City and that is not dependent on the result on Saturday that will not change that belief," he added.

"The FA Cup was a higher occasion than the game on Saturday. Nevertheless, we want to win but we showed on occasions we can beat City.

"We have that belief but we don't want to take a risk with players and lose them for long periods because that is what we have to take from last season because when you are getting in a pattern when we are missing many players with injuries from the same team unit that affects the results."

"We want to get results and for that players have to be available."

Erik ten Hag has said that Manchester United's new leadership team are "eager" to complete more transfer business ahead of the new Premier League season. 

Ten Hag's side concluded their pre-season tour of the United States on Saturday, losing 3-0 to Liverpool in South Carolina, making it three losses from their last five fixtures. 

Both Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof were replaced at half-time due to injury, with Harry Maguire also missing the encounuter as a precaution.

New £52million arrival Leny Yoro is expected to miss the first three months of the season after picking up an injury against Arsenal. 

Rasmus Hojlund is also set to be sidelined until September, with United expected to dip back into the transfer market to bolster their squad. 

Ten Hag has registered his interest in Bayern Munich duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, but have yet to come to an agreement with the defensive pair. 

However, Ten Hag is confident that football director Dan Ashworth, technical director Jason Wilcox and new chief executive Omar Berrada are working hard with new co-owners, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos, to get deals done.

“It is always difficult to say,” said Ten Hag, when asked if he expected to make changes to his squad in the next fortnight.

“We hope. We are always looking and this new leadership team is really eager to do business and to make deals. They are on it.

“But we have to wait if the timing is there and if the opportunities are there.”

United face rivals Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley next weekend, hopeful of replicating their FA Cup success over Pep Guardiola's side in May. 

With Hojlund out and Bruno Fernandes returning to training next week, Ten Hag trialled Jadon Sancho in the number nine position against Liverpool. 

Sancho, who notched five goal contributions in 14 league appearances on loan at Borussia Dortmund last season, struggled against Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah.

The 24-year-old managed an expected goals (xG) of 0.05 from his one shot, but impressed in his build-up play, registering 13 passes in the final third, a total only bettered by Casemiro (14). 

“If Jadon wasn’t an option we wouldn’t have played him there,” said Ten Hag on playing Sancho instead of Marcus Rashford against City. 

“Marcus has done it before and it is definitely an option but I think he is more productive from the left, when he is coming inside.”

Erik ten Hag hinted that Casemiro could stay at Manchester United this season if he is prepared to be a team player.

There was speculation at the start of the transfer window that the Brazilian could be on his way out of Old Trafford, with some Saudi Pro League clubs interested in his signature.

However, those offers look to have dried up after he struggled in his second Premier League campaign, at times having to be deployed as an emergency centre-back due to injuries.

He was also dropped for the FA Cup final win; he was initially named on the bench but was later taken off the team sheet with United saying he was injured.

Though Ten Hag seems to have contradicted that notion of the club, he praised Casemiro's leadership qualities, hinting that he could be set for a third year in Manchester.

"You have to make choices – what was needed for that particular game [the FA Cup final]," he said in an interview with The Guardian.  "But he is a very important player.

"He is a leader, and he can make a difference for our team. No one can play every game. It's impossible.

"All the players who are here, if they want to play for us, want to play for the bench, and they have the quality, then I hope they keep contributing to our team. We have seen that Casemiro in his career is so successful."

Casemiro has played in all of United's pre-season friendlies so far, managing 61 minutes against Real Betis in San Diego on Wednesday.

He scored the Red Devils' third goal in that game, but also had the most touches (67) and completed the most accurate passes (48/78) of anyone on the team.

Erik ten Hag is hopeful that the Manchester United board will continue to stick with him if the club goes through difficult moments next season.

The Red Devils boss signed a contract extension last month, shortly after rife speculation that he was set to be fired after the FA Cup final, no matter the result.

United beat Manchester City to win the trophy on the back of their worst-ever finish of eighth in the Premier League.

With a new leadership group in charge, Ten Hag is confident that the team can prove they are competitors when the new season gets underway.

"I feel that we built something and that the people who are around me are in the same boat," Ten Hag said in an extended interview in their pre-season tour in Los Angeles.

"But of course, it's always a proven point when the case is there – but what I hope is that we avoid this [a dip]."

"I feel positive, and I feel very aligned. They [the new owners] are here, we are building those relationships and, as I said, we have to prove this point during the season and the next coming years: how strong we are."

United have already made two signings this transfer window, bringing in Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna and Leny Yoro from Lille, though the defender is set to be out for three minutes after suffering a foot injury against Arsenal in a pre-season friendly.

Rasmus Hojlund is also set to be out for six weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in the same game, while Marcus Rashford and Antony were forced off against Real Betis on Thursday.

While Ten Hag did not say the extent of the two injuries suffered, he admitted he was cautious about rushing the players back into action.

"We have to wait," Ten Hag said in a news conference. "Of course, we don't take risks in the last game of the tour going into the season next week already.

"We go into an important game, and we are still 24 hours after a game. The final assessment we have to make, and we will see if they are ready for the game against Liverpool on Saturday."

After a prolific first season under Ten Hag that saw Rashford score 30 goals for the Red Devils in all competitions, he netted just eight last campaign.

Despite the dip in form, the Dutchman has backed Rashford to regain his spark.

"He has to prove his point," the 54-year-old said. "We will set the conditions [give him all the support] and [then] he is very capable of doing this.

"The season before he scored 30 goals, so when he is in the right vibe, then he has such a high potential. And when he is really in that mood, he [can] again score 30 or even more goals."