Manchester United's weakness this season might be exposed by what Erik ten Hag feared most

Erik ten Hag had a smile on his face when Anthony Martial scored for Manchester United against Everton, although that wide grin was soon wiped away, just over fives minutes later, when Marcus Rashford went to the ground with an injury.

Rashford appeared to hold his groin and he looked in visible discomfort. The medical staff indicated that a substitution was necessary and he slowly limped his way around the pitch, with supporters watching and beginning to fear the worst.

Ten Hag shared a few words with the player and he headed to the dressing room. United's swashbuckling performance against Everton was their best for some time, but Rashford leaving the field in pain took the gloss off the victory.

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After the game, Ten Hag was asked about Rashford and he took a swipe at the Premier League for his side's hectic schedule. "We have to wait, how bad or how good it is. Obviously he went off with a complaint, now we have to wait for a diagnosis," he said.

"Some things you can't avoid but it was avoidable. Why is the Premier League giving us the late Sunday night game [against Newcastle] and giving us the early Saturday game? I think it's not right. You run the risk, the players can't recover that quickly.

"We know all research that players need a certain period to recover and it accumulates. So then you run even more of a risk. It's also part of the schedule that we now find ourselves in this situation and now we can only pray he is not dropping off."

Those comments suggest the suspicion is that Rashford has sustained an abductor-related problem - injuries to muscles caused due to overuse - and the concern is that such a strain, even when minor, can lead to a spell