Marcus Rashford risking wrath of Gareth Southgate may be a calculated Manchester United gamble

Just a few hours before England played Italy on Thursday night, Marcus Rashford surprised fans with a post on social media.

Rashford, who had withdrawn from the England squad for the Euro qualifies with an injury, posted a picture of himself enjoying some 'downtime' in New York before subsequently sharing another photo with his partner by a fountain in Central Park.

The knock that Rashford sustained against Fulham in the FA Cup was unspecified when his withdrawal from England squad was announced and his photos on social media were swamped by comments like: "Thought you were injured?"

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Some supporters also joked that it doesn't feel like a coincidence that Erik ten Hag recently dined with Sir Alex Ferguson and Rashford, Manchester United's leading scorer this season, was forced to rest during this international break with a knock.

It is believed that England were unaware of his trip to the USA after his withdrawal from the squad and Gareth Southgate, who was asked about his absence and trip to New York, seemed to hint at frustration at Rashford being unavailable.

Rashford has form for withdrawing from England squads and Southgate said "he hadn't had him that often". Considering the player jetted to New York, it would be fair for Southgate to have suspicions but it seemed like a calculated gamble from Rashford.

As they remain in each competition, United are set to play 60-plus matches - they played 49 last season - and the World Cup has also been wedged in the middle of the campaign, which means the fixture list has been relentless for elite players.

Rashford, who has privately struggled with injuries throughout his career, knows his body better than anyone and