Wantaway Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been told he has a future at the club by head coach Ruben Amorim.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says the club is “better” with Marcus Rashford and promises he is ready to “help” the forward who was quoted as saying he was ready for a new challenge.

The 27-year-old was dropped from United’s squad for the 2-1 win at Manchester City on Sunday. Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, was also not part of the squad for the Premier League clash, with new boss Amorim later saying his decisions were all about holding his players to high standards.

It has led to widespread speculation about his future and Rashford discussed the possibility of leaving in an interview on Tuesday.

“For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps,” he told journalist Henry Winter on Tuesday. “When I leave, it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’.”

Amorim was diplomatic when asked on Wednesday if he wanted to keep Rashford at the club. “Of course, because this kind of club needs big talents and he’s a big talent,” he told a news conference. “So, he just needs to perform at the highest level and that is my focus. I just want to help Marcus.

“What I want is to take the best of Marcus Rashford … I want the best from each one of them. I just want to win and help the team be better.

“We are better with Marcus Rashford and it’s that simple. We will try different things to push Rashford to the best levels that he has shown me in the past.”

Rashford is under contract until 2028. He has been at the club since the age of seven and is a graduate of United’s famed academy, which has produced many of its greatest players like Bobby Charlton, George Best, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham. In that time he has scored 135 goals in 426 appearances and won the Europa League, two FA Cups and two League Cups.

But he has struggled for form since signing his new deal in 2023 — scoring just eight goals last season and losing his place in the England team for which he has been capped 60 times.

He has scored three goals in six games since Amorim was appointed in November, but was substituted after 56 minutes of his last appearance against Viktoria Plzen last week and then left out of the squad against City.