Manchester United need Alejandro Garnacho to respond to Erik ten Hag's demand

After plundering 30 goals in a single season for the first time in his career last season, Marcus Rashford will be deeply frustrated by the fact he has just one so far this term.

The Manchester United forward, just like the rest of his teammates, has struggled for form at the start of this season, meaning he is under increasing pressure to turn up the volume. He has been anonymous in recent fixtures, and can perhaps count himself lucky to have retained his place.

Manager Erik ten Hag, though, has refused to turn his back on the England international, insisting after the 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last month that he "can do better". Rashford was substituted that afternoon and was also withdrawn against Brentford seven days later, again after failing to impose himself.

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Though he grabbed an assist in the Champions League defeat to Galatasaray sandwiched between those two league outings, Rashford's start to the campaign has been poor. In his defence, however, it is hard for any player to thrive when a team is struggling as a collective.

Ten Hag, throughout his premiership at Old Trafford, has often reiterated the importance of having two competitors vying for the same position. For instance, the additions of Sofyan Amrabat and Rasmus Hojlund during the summer created much-needed competition for Casemiro and Anthony Martial in their respective positions.

United did not need to turn to the transfer market to find competition for Rashford, not that anyone thought they would need to after his exploits last season. Both Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho came into this season as adequate competitors