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Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, who spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Manchester United, has named three influential figures within the Red Devils dressing room.
The Austrian midfielder joined United on loan from Bayern Munich during the January transfer window. He returned to Bayern in the summer and then completed a £16 million move to Dortmund.
During his spell at Old Trafford, Sabitzer participated in 18 fixtures across competitions and found the back of the net thrice. Reflecting on his tenure at the Premier League giants, Sabitzer voiced his concerns over Manchester United's shaky form.
Sabitzer believes that the absence of three "leaders" from the dressing room, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, and Luke Shaw, due to injuries, have played a part in the club's poor form. Speaking to The Athletic, he said (via Metro):
"I feel very positive about my time there and still talk to a couple of people. You ask yourself, ‘what’s going on?’ There’s a lot of noise, results are not good, they’ve had defeats at home, which almost felt unthinkable last season. And there’s still the unresolved situation of the ownership. You can see what that does to a team."
"I feel sorry for them because they’re all good guys, and extremely hungry for success. Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez – they are leaders that provide structure and stability to the team."
Sabitzer also delved into Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's style of play:
"Erik ten Hag comes with up very specific match plans and patterns of play. But if you have too many important players missing and too many changes as a result, things get lost between the tactics board and the pitch. The rhythm of players coming isn’t right, processes aren’t right."
The 29-year-old midfielder added that once United's injury issues subside, the team should start performing better.
"In the Premier League and Champions League, you need your best players available. Everything feels a little laboured and uncertain now. They need their big guys to show up and change the course of the season, but I believe things can change quickly once they get important players back," he said.
Manchester United have suffered a series of setbacks this season in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. The team's struggles in England, coupled with their defeats against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, have cast doubts over their prospects this season.
Rumors of exit from Manchester United trigger response from Marcus Rashford
In a recent social media exchange, Marcus Rashford had a succinct message for a Manchester United fan channel that questioned his future with the club. The United Stand, the fan channel in question, ignited a debate regarding Rashford's future at Old Trafford.
In response, Rashford firmly stated (via Manchester Evening News):
"Please STOP spreading malicious rumours."
The forward's current campaign has been less than stellar, with only one goal to his name so far. This, coupled with a reprimand from manager Erik ten Hag over his partying after the Manchester derby loss, has led to increased scrutiny around his role in the team.
A recent injury in training, which led to him missing the win against Fulham, has only increased the speculation. However, it's worth noting that Rashford had a standout season just last year, scoring an impressive 30 goals in all competitions. Furthermore, his contributions were recognised with a new five-year contract in July.
