Rashford targets Liverpool return after starting new recovery programme

Marcus Rashford has started a new recovery programme for the hip and groin injury that has kept him out of Manchester United's past six matches. He hopes to be available for the Premier League trip to Liverpool on Sunday 22 November, according to BBC Sport.

The 29-year-old saw a specialist in Dublin during the week beginning Monday 2 November, accompanied by a member of United's medical staff. The new programme was put in place after that visit.

Goal.com reported on Wednesday 11 November that United were hopeful Rashford would be fit for Anfield, and that he would continue working on his fitness during the November international break. The Telegraph reported on Thursday 12 November that he was targeting the same fixture.

None of the reports describe a confirmed return. This is a target, and whether Rashford is selected or even available at Anfield will depend on how the new programme goes.

An injury that kept getting worse

The problem is not a new one. BBC Sport reported that the injury was initially sustained at the World Cup, was aggravated during the opening weeks of the season and then spread to his groin.

Rashford played through the early part of the campaign. Goal.com reported that he featured in United's first six league matches of 2026-27, and also played in the Carabao Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion and the Champions League defeat by Atlético Madrid in October.

That Atlético match was his last. The Telegraph reported that he has been out with a hip injury since then.

He did try to stay involved. According to BBC Sport, Rashford offered to go on the bench for the defeat at Chelsea in October, but the club decided it was not worth the risk of further damage. The same report said he had wanted to play some role in recent weeks to help head coach Michael Carrick, and that the worsening injury prevented it.

That detail helps explain the trip to Dublin. A player willing to sit on the bench while injured, and a club unwilling to let him, points to a problem that rest alone was not fixing. A specialist opinion and a fresh plan suggest United want a proper solution, not another short-term patch.

Still waiting for a first goal back

The lay-off has interrupted a return to Old Trafford that has yet to get going. Rashford came back to United in summer 2026 after spending the 2025-26 season on loan at Barcelona, Goal.com reported, and he has not scored for the club since.

The Telegraph put the figure at eight appearances without a goal this season. Given that he was carrying an injury picked up at the World Cup through those opening weeks, it is fair to wonder how much of that run was played at full fitness.

If he does make it back for Liverpool, the fixture is one he has enjoyed. Rashford has scored seven goals in 20 appearances against them, according to Goal.com. For a forward looking for his first goal since returning from Spain, there are worse opponents to aim at.

The timing also helps. The international break gives him a stretch of training without matches to miss, and United's caution over the Chelsea game shows they will not rush him for the sake of one afternoon, however big the occasion.

What comes next

Rashford will spend the international break working on his fitness under the new programme. The first real test of it is the date he has circled: Liverpool v Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday 22 November, listed as a 16:30 kick-off on both the Premier League fixture list and United's own fixtures page.