Out-of-form attacker was mostly overlooked by Southgate in friendlies as Bowen, Gordon and Maddison took their chance

Gareth Southgate did say. When the England manager announced his squad for the Wembley friendlies with Brazil and Belgium, he made clear that Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish faced competition for their Euro 2024 places from the next generation of wide attackers – specifically Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer. There was also a prominent namecheck for Jarrod Bowen.

As the dust settled on the international window, which was defined for Southgate by injury chaos and the usual debate about who had advanced their claims or hurt them , it was easy to go back to those words. And to process another round of them that, for Rashford in particular, did not sound encouraging.

• Manager believes team can ‘beat any opponent’ after cup victory
• Loss ends Liverpool dreams of quadruple in Klopp’s final season

Erik ten Hag claimed Manchester United’s FA Cup victory against ­Liverpool could be the turning point he and his team need after beating their fierce rivals in an epic ­quarter‑final at Old Trafford.

United came from 2-1 down in normal time and 3-2 down in extra time to win 4-3 thanks to Amad Diallo’s 120th‑minute winner. The match-winning substitute was sent off for removing his shirt during the wild celebration, having earlier been booked for preventing a quick ­Liverpool free-kick.

• Manchester United forward in squad for England friendlies
• Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden offer competition

Gareth Southgate has warned Marcus Rashford his place in England’s Euro 2024 squad is by no means guaranteed, with stiff competition looming from the next generation of wide attackers.

Rashford has been back in the England fold, when fit, since being recalled for the 2022 World Cup after a year-long absence. His domestic form has been patchy, though, while he was disciplined by Manchester United in January after allegedly partying in Belfast and subsequently missing training. Southgate played that incident down but made clear that Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon, both called up for the friendlies against Brazil next Saturday and Belgium three days later, are serious threats for the berth Rashford covets.

• Forward has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain
• ‘We didn’t re-sign him for five years to sell him,’ says Ten Hag

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United have no intention of selling Marcus Rashford this summer. The forward signeda new five-year deal after hitting 30 goals last season but has scored only seven times in a poor campaign for all connected to the club.

Rashford was linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain again this week, which could provide United with a huge windfall at a time of Premier League profit and sustainability considerations. It would represent pure profit because he is a homegrown player but Ten Hag says financial benefits are outweighed by the player’s importance to the future.

• England forward wants naysayers to ‘have a bit more humanity’
• Alan Shearer has questioned Rashford’s body language

Marcus Rashford has suggested he is judged more harshly than some other footballers and said there is “a tone” to media reporting of both his perceived attitude at Manchester United and off-the-field lifestyle.

In a first-person piece for the Players’ Tribune website entitled ‘Who I really am’, the England forward claimed his campaigning against child food poverty during the Covid pandemic “seemed to rub certain people the wrong way”.