Marcus Rashford seemed to be enjoying his football at Aston Villa following his January loan move from Manchester United.
Unai Emery turned to the 27-year-old for the Villans’ crunch Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain in favour of usual first-choice Ollie Watkins, suggesting just how much he’d impressed his temporary boss.
It was therefore somewhat of a shock when Rashford was absent from Villa’s squad when they faced Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup semi-final.
Is Marcus Rashford fit to face Fulham on Saturday afternoon?
It was revealed shortly after the game that the issue that kept Rashford on the sidelines for that game was a hamstring injury.
Adding further to Emery’s woes, the injury is expected to lead to the forward missing the rest of the season, meaning he will not be available for Fulham’s visit to Villa Park this weekend.
Speaking recently, the Villa boss said: “We are going to try to test him each match but he’s injured and probably some weeks he won’t be available.”
Given we’re only a week into that timeline, Saturday’s game will come too soon.
It is not yet known whether we have already seen the last of Rashford in a Villa shirt, given his loan move included a £40m option-to-buy clause.
BBC Sport reported that Rashford has decided not to speak to any clubs until the summer.
The forced absence will be disappointing for both Villa and Rashford, given he’d managed to rack up four goals and six assists in just 17 appearances for the Villans.
Any return this season would need to be made by Villa’s penultimate game of the season, against Tottenham Hotspur, as Emery’s side face United on the final day which, under the terms of his loan deal, Rashford is ineligible to play.
