Arsenal great Ian Wright has hammered Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for his handling of Marcus Rashford's injury after the England international was ruled out with a back injury.
Rashford missed the defeat to Liverpool on Sunday and details emerged during the game at Anfield that the forward had suffered a double back fracture and was expected to be sidelined for months after playing through the pain.
Solskjaer had said after the Norwich game, where Rashford was brought off as a precautionary measure in the second half, that the 22-year-old had been suffering with a couple of knocks but then brought him off the bench during United's FA Cup third round replay against Wolves at Old Trafford just four days later.
Rashford lasted just 16 minutes of that game and had to be replaced by Jesse Lingard after he went down clutching his back and the Norwegian's decision to bring the England international on in that game has led to criticism.
"Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he knew Marcus Rashford was struggling and played him against Wolves – now he’s out for three months," Wright told BBC Five Live. “We’re talking about an explosive player that’s going to need to be right [to play].
"Solskjaer’s under intense pressure to get United back where they were and he’s thought about himself before he thought about the player – Solskjaer has put himself above Marcus Rashford’s health.
"Now, one of their most promising and most important players is out and that has to come to the manager’s door. Rashford has started every game and for him to play that much football, with the problems he is having with his back, you can’t mess around with that and Solskjaer has to take some blame in still playing him.”
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara also stuck the boot in saying he was shocked the club had allowed him to carry on playing.
"It’s a major injury and I’m gobsmacked they’ve allowed him to continue playing," O’Hara told talkSPORT.
"For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to say he’s going to be back in six weeks is ridiculous. A double stress fracture to the spine is three months minimum. I needed surgery in the end and that’s when my career started to go down because I couldn’t get back to the pace of where you need to be."
Solskjaer said after the defeat against Liverpool he expects the forward to be out until at least the winter break in the middle of February.
