01 January 2023 , 10:42
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Manchester United icon Paul Scholes was left red-faced after he predicted that Marcus Rashford's revival could falter after the striker was dropped to the bench for being "a little bit stupid".
Eyebrows were raised ahead of United's meeting with Wolves when it was revealed that Rashford had not been named in Erik ten Hag's starting line-up - just days after he put Nottingham Forest to the sword with an impressive brace at Old Trafford.
Scholes was less than impressed after Ten Hag confirmed that Rashford had been dropped due to a 'disciplinary' issue. And the former United midfielder even suggested that Rashford, who had been woefully short of confidence and in dreadful form prior to Ten Hag's arrival in the summer, could be set back significantly by the incident.
Speaking to BT Sport, he said: ""He’s jeopardising his own form a little bit by being stupid or whatever he’s done wrong and the manager has seen it to take him out the team.
"But when he is on form, he’s looked so happy and if you look over the last 18 months, he’s looked miserable and hasn’t performed, could this jeopardise him going forward? He looks a bit miserable there [warming up] because he’s not playing but I hope it doesn’t jeopardise the next six months of the season.
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Scholes' fears were emphatically quashed though as Rashford stepped up to inspire United to a hard-fought win after being introduced from the bench by Ten Hag at half-time. The United academy graduate plundered a stunning solo goal to propel Ten Hag's side into the top-four after he replaced teenage hotshot Alejandro Garnacho at the break.
Join the debate! What did you make of Rashford's performance against Wolves? Let us know here.
Rashford got back into Erik ten Hag's good books by netting the winning goal against Wolves (Getty Images)Rashford's match-winning strike means the England star has already amassed 11 goals in all competitions after rediscovering his scoring touch this term.
And the United striker made it clear that he had no complaints over Ten Hag's decision to drop him to the bench after admitting that he had been left out because he'd overslept and turned up late to a team meeting.
He explained: "Yeah it’s team rules, I think it’s a mistake that can happen but disappointed not to play but I understand the decision. Ultimately, I’m happy we managed to win the game anyway so we can draw a line under it and move on. He added: "I was a little bit late for a meeting, I overslept, it can happen."
Rashford later poked fun at the incident in a tweet as he wished his social media followers a Happy New Year. He tweeted: "Better late than never," along with a clock emoji. "Thanks to the away fans today, great energy as always let's keep this momentum going into 2023."