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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Steven Railston

Mike Phelan pinpoints one trait that Man United's Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes share

Mike Phelan has explained Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes are Manchester United's most intelligent players.

Rashford's and Fernandes' campaigns have only just ended after both players represented their respective nations at this summer's European Championship and they'll now enjoy a few weeks of rest on holiday before being recalled for pre-season training.

When they return, which will be at different times considering Portugal were knocked out earlier than England and that Rashford may seek an operation, both players will prepare under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's watchful eye to launch a serious title challenge next term.

Assistant manager Phelan has revealed Rashford and Fernandes should have no problems as far as tactical drills in training for preparation are concerned, though, as he revealed to Sensible Soccer that the pair are United's most intelligent players.

Are you surprised at Phelan's admission? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

“The intelligent ones are the ones that when you set up a practice and a session, you don’t have to go back and repeat it too many times. With some, you do have to repeat it, but others can pick it up between two or three minutes," Phelan said.

"Going back a little bit, people like Scholes, Nevilles and Giggs, those types, they were challenging in their own right, but they quickly got bored by certain things [in training] so you would have to move on.

“Now, the likes of Rashford and Fernandes, both very, very cute and intelligent when it comes to playing football. Fernandes has got an excellent footballing brain on him, he knows exactly what he wants to do before he does it - he’s one of the brightest."

Do you want an exclusive pre-season United preview - both in your inbox and through your letterbox? Head over here to find out more and secure your copy.

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