Marcus Rashford ‘to miss rest of the season’ in major blow for Aston Villa | Football | Sport

Marcus Rashford is expected to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. The Manchester United star joined Aston Villa on loan during the winter transfer window, and his faltering Red Devils form had picked up since arriving in the West Midlands.

Villa boss Unai Emery revealed that Rashford faced a spell on the sidelines after he was left out of the squad for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace. And it has now emerged that, barring a surprisingly speedy recovery, that issue will prevent him from turning out for the Birmingham side again this campaign.

According to The Athletic, Rashford is poised to undergo further tests to gauge the severity of his injury. It is understood that surgery is unlikely, but with only three weeks until the final game of the season in which Rashford would be able to play, time is quickly running out for him to get back amongst the action.

The prospect of him being involved against Tottenham on May 18 has not been ruled out entirely, but he is guaranteed to miss out on the last weekend, as he will be ineligible to face parent club United.

Rashford has become an important player under Emery, starring on the left and through the middle, and racking up four goals and six assists across all competitions. The 27-year-old’s sharp displays even saw Villa’s star striker, Ollie Watkins, relegated to the bench for both legs of the Champions League quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Villa have an option to make Rashford’s move permanent this summer for £40m, but the forward has the power to veto the move, and he hinted that he doesn’t see his long-term future at Villa Park shortly after signing.

“Obviously it’s only short-term I’m here,” he told the Villa website. “So I want to make the most of my time here, and the only way to do that is by using my attributes and my skillset to help the team.”

Rashford’s recovering form saw him included in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad last month. And his main focus is now believed to be getting fit for international fixtures against Andorra and Senegal in June.

Villa are still in the hunt for one of five Champions League places with four games to go. They currently sit seventh in the table but they are only three points behind fifth-place Chelsea.