Ralf Rangnick's two-week plan to rescue Man Utd's season and solve Marcus Rashford issue

As 18 of Manchester United’s stars head off for international duty over the two-week break at the end of March, Ralf Rangnick will have a rare chance to address problems in his squad — the most prominent issue being Marcus Rashford's decline.

United’s exit from the Champions League drew a barrage of criticism from fans and pundits as they prepare for five seasons without a trophy. Such a scenario would have been unimaginable under Sir Alex Ferguson, and even more so after signing Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.

The only remaining source of pride for the players and Rangnick is to beat Arsenal and Tottenham to a top-four finish. The Gunners’ narrow win over Aston Villa on Saturday has made that task even more difficult, with a four-point gap and a game in hand over United.

But such a margin is not impossible to reduce. Arsenal still have to play Chelsea and United in their final matches of the season, and that at least gives United some encouragement in being able to decide their own destiny.

The interim coach will have a chance to work on his tactics and fitness with the players whom have been left at home over the next fortnight ahead of two crucial games. The Red Devils will host Leicester City on April 2 and then take on relegation-threatened Everton at Goodison Park — and winning both games is mandatory if they want to play Champions League football next season.

Rangnick will know that in order to do that, he needs his attacking players firing. That includes Ronaldo, although the Portuguese has scored 18 in all competitions. But Rashford has plummeted to arguably the lowest moment of his career and is desperately in need of a confidence boost, netting only five goals in all competitions compared to 21 last