Manchester United could find their next Marcus Rashford this month

Caroline McAteer is the experienced PR specialist who manages a handful of Manchester United players and she could manage her own United five-a-side team.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount's public relations are all handled by Ms McAteer. So gone, gone, gone, gone and gone (from matchday squads).

Ronaldo admitted he had "no respect" for United manager Erik ten Hag. Sancho publicly accused Ten Hag of saying something "completely untrue". Varane was released after United ignored the one-year option in his contract. Rashford was very publicly dropped by successive permanent managers.

Mount sent his best to Lisandro Martinez on Instagram this week. "All here for you brother," his post read. Call it gallows humour, but maybe that is because Mount is often in the physio's room. Mount has played in 33 games out of a possible 89 for United.

Since the winter transfer window closed, United have whittled their squad down to 25 players, the minimum and advisable amount. Yet it has shrunk further.

Two of those players are Mount and Luke Shaw, physio room bedfellows. One is third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who has not played in two years. Martinez is out until next season.

Then there are players at the back of the queue. Casemiro has played 20 minutes this calendar year and his cameo in Bucharest last week was his first appearance in a month. United have specialist and auxiliary centre halves to cover for Martinez and Casemiro is eighth in line.

Ruben Amorim does not fancy either of the two strikers United forked out £108.5million for and they make up half of his attacking department. The irony of Rashford's daily drive through the M6 toll is there is a high probability a new