Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Won't Rule out Marcus Rashford Missing Rest of Season

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said the club will be patient with Marcus Rashford's back injury, even if that means the player misses the rest of the season.

Per Goal, the tactician was asked whether the 22-year-old could be sidelined until the end of the campaign, and Solskjaer didn't rule it out: "Marcus is going to get as long as he needs to get fit. We are not going to risk him when he's had an injury. I have got the best medical staff in the country and I am sure when Marcus comes back he will be 100 per cent fit."

Per Henry Winter of The Times, the current timeline for his recovery is two to three months. Winter also weighed in on reports United may have played a role in aggravating the issue:

Solskjaer said Rashford had previously complained of back pains, but the medical staff kept a close eye on him:

"I never put myself before the team. I always put the team and the club before anything else. What we've discussed before here with Marcus, he's had minor discomfort in his back since the Burnley game.

"That's maybe two weeks before this game. We've had scans, we've monitored him. There's not been any injury there. He's had complaints, yeah.

"I had a discussion and conversation with him the day before or two days before. 'FA Cup, I'm going to rest you.'

"He felt fine. He was very, very adamant that if needed he could at least do half an hour because we want to go through in the Cup because it's a big tournament for us. That just shows you Marcus' attitude."

Rashford lasted just 16 minutes in the win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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The youngster's production took a major leap forward this season, and before he suffered the injury setback, he bagged a career-high 14 goals in the Premier League. He was an automatic starter in the league for Solskjaer, who has limited depth to fall back on.

Rashford has promised the fans he will remain involved with the team while he works his way back to full health:

Anthony Martial got the start in the 2-0 loss against Liverpool, but he was kept fairly quiet and fluffed his one big chance when blazing over the bar from inside the box. The former Monaco man has had his ups and downs this season―he has eight Premier League goals―and will likely have a bigger role moving forward.

According to ESPN FC's Rob Dawson, the Red Devils could add to their options during the January transfer window. Their list of targets includes Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani, AC Milan's Krzysztof Piatek, Napoli's Dries Mertens and Dortmund's Paco Alcacer.

Cavani's fit at Old Trafford was debated on Sky Sports' Transfer Talk:

According to The Athletic (h/t Mirror's Darren Wells), United were already looking at Piatek before Rashford got injured, and they have now approached Milan. The Rossoneri are looking for a fee of €35 million (£29.7m).

United sit six points behind Chelsea in the Premier League's race for the top four and have a match in hand. The Red Devils have a great chance at qualifying for next year's UEFA Champions League, but they will have to add a short-term replacement for Rashford to keep those chances alive.

While it may be tempting to rush the England international back, it could be detrimental to his long-term health. Solskjaer is right to be patient with his young star, as long as a proper replacement arrives before the end of the January window.