Dhaka, Sep 13 (AP/UNB)- With goals in each of England's two games over the international break, Marcus Rashford might have nailed down a starting place for his country.
Doing the same at his club won't be quite so easy.
Rashford was back at Manchester United on Wednesday, likely resuming life on the margins of English soccer's biggest team. First, there's a three-match suspension to serve after getting a red card in United's last Premier League game for aiming a headbutt at an opponent soon after coming on as a substitute.
When he's available again after his ban, expect to see the 20-year-old Rashford mostly sitting on the bench and making frequent second-half cameos out on one of the wings. That's currently his role at United, which could start to get frustrating for the country's brightest young player.
"A prodigious talent," former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted after Rashford scored England's goal with a cushioned volley in the 1-0 win over Switzerland in a friendly on Tuesday.
That goal came after Rashford scored the opener in England's 2-1 loss to Spain in a UEFA Nations League game on Saturday.
Rashford started both international matches in his favored position as a central striker, benefiting from attacker Raheem Sterling's withdrawal because of injury. Both of his goals were clinical strikes from inside the penalty area, where England coach Gareth Southgate has said he wants to see Rashford rather than stuck out wide.
With his pace, movement and fearlessness, Rashford can be a nightmare for opponents when he plays on the shoulder of the last defender.
"We know how exciting he is," Southgate said after the game against Switzerland. "He will be a top player."
The problem for Rashford, and Southgate, is that he is not getting to play in his best position at United. Starts on the wing might be scarce, too.
With the 25-year-old Romelu Lukaku the first-choice striker and Alexis Sanchez — signed from Arsenal in January — the first-choice left winger, Rashford has to make do with bit-part roles under United manager Jose Mourinho in competition with another overlooked young forward, Anthony Martial. He doesn't look at home on the right wing.
Rashford made more appearances than any other outfield player at United last season, as Mourinho likes to point out, but they were mostly from the bench.
This season, he has started one game for United this season — the Premier League opener against Leicester, when he only played up front because Lukaku wasn't deemed ready to start after returning late to preseason training following the World Cup.
Rashford was a second-half substitute against Brighton, didn't come off the bench in the 3-0 home loss to Tottenham, and entered as a 61st-minute substitute against Burnley only to be red-carded 10 minutes later.
Mourinho only plays one up front so Rashford isn't going to be paired with Lukaku. Sanchez is United's marquee player along with Paul Pogba. So where does Rashford actually fit in? There's no outward sign of any resentment from Rashford, but will he continue to be content being a so-called "super-sub"?
It's no surprise that some pundits are questioning if United is going to be the right place for Rashford to develop into the world-class player his country hopes he'll be. At this stage in his career, he needs to be starting games.
One stat highlights just how precocious Rashford is: He has scored in his senior United debut (as a late call-up for a Europa League match in February 2016), his Premier League debut, his England debut, his Champions League debut and also his first Manchester derby.
Rashford is still raw — his final ball can be poor and his finishing sometimes lets him down — and he makes mistakes, but he is clearly a player for the big occasion.
Going forward, those occasions might be for England more than United.
Gold Coast, Sep 13 (AP/UNB) — Argentina coach Mario Ledesma made three changes, tweaking his forward pack and promoting a new halfback, for Saturday's Rugby Championship test against Australia.
The Pumas lost their last match 46-24 to New Zealand last weekend.
One of the changes announced Thursday was forced, with flanker Tomas Lezana ruled out due to a torn hamstring and replaced at No. 6 by Pablo Matera.
Santiago Medrano will also start at prop with Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro moving from tighthead to loosehead.
Meanwhile, Gonzalo Bertranou will wear the No. 9 jersey, bumping Martin Landajo to the bench and former ACT Brumbies halfback Tomas Cubelli out of the squad.
As expected, flanker David Pocock and Israel Folau were named by Australia coach Michael Cheika to make their return to the starting lineup. Pocock had a neck injury and Folau trained strongly after sustaining an ankle injury in the opening Bledisloe Cup clash against New Zealand.
Folau has been named on the right wing with Dane Haylett-Petty to retain the No. 15 jersey after two strong performances at fullback.
Adam Coleman returned to the Wallabies camp after the birth of his first child in Melbourne on Sunday and will start on the bench against Argentina.
Prop Sekope Kepu is set to earn his 97th test cap on Saturday with the veteran also named among the reserves, after missing the match-day 23 for the Wallabies' 23-18 win over South Africa last weekend.
Argentina is seeking its first win in Australia in 35 years.
Saturday's match will mark the first time Ledesma, the former Australian forwards coach, goes head-to-head against his former colleagues.
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Lineups:
Australia: Dane Haylett-Petty, Israel Folau, Reece Hodge, Marika Koroibete, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper (captain), Lukhan Tui, Izack Rodda, Rory Arnold, Allan Alaalatoa, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio. Reserves: Folau Faingaa, Sekope Kepu, Taniela Tupou, Adam Coleman, Pete Samu, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Jack Maddocks.
Argentina: Emiliano Boffelli, Bautista Delguy, Matias Moroni, Jeronimo De La Fuente, Ramiro Moyano, Nicolas Sanchez, Gonzalo Bertranou, Javier Ortega Desio, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera, Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti, Santiago Medrano, Agustin Creevy (captain), Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro. Reserves: Julian Montoya, Santiago Garcia Botta, Juan Pablo Zeiss, Matias Alemanno, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Martin Landajo, Bautista Ezcurra, Juan Cruz Mallia.
Chicago, Sep 13 (AP/UNB) — U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie has a bruised left knee, not a sprain as first announced.
McKennie left the Americans' 1-0 exhibition win over Mexico on Tuesday night in the 40th minute after injuring the knee. The U.S. Soccer Federation originally called the injury a sprain, but said Wednesday he was re-evaluated and has a bruise and no sprain.
McKennie had an MRI and returned to his German club Schalke for additional treatment, according to the USSF, which did not have a timetable for his return.
The 20-year-old Texan has become a regular for Schalke.
London, Sep 13 (AP/UNB) — World Cup-winning France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been fined 50,000 pounds ($65,000) and banned from driving for 20 months for drunk driving.
The Tottenham goalkeeper was pulled by over by police in central London last month when his Porsche was veering toward parked vehicles before going through a red light. Police discovered vomit in the car and Lloris had to be helped out.
Lloris, who was in goal when France beat Croatia in the World Cup final, admitted to the charge of drunk driving during a London court appearance on Wednesday.
David Sonn, the lawyer representing the player in court, says "the spectacular fall from grace is not lost on Mr. Lloris."
Dhaka, Sept 12 (UNB) – Holders India made their 11th final berth of the seven-nation SAFF Suzuki Cup eliminating their arch-rival Pakistan by 3-1 goals in the 2nd semifinal at the floodlit Bangabandhu National Stadium here on Wednesday evening.
The 7th time champions, India, will play the final on Saturday (September 15) at 7pm at the same venue against the Maldives, the champions of 2008 SAAF Cup, which made the final berth shocking spirited Nepal by 3-0 goals in the first semifinal earlier in the day.
After a barren first, Manvir Singh struck twice and Sumeet Passi netted one for the India while Hassan Bashir netted the lone goal for Pakistan.
Both the teams were reduced to 10 men in the 86th minute when Mohsin Ali of Pakistan and Lalianzuala Changte were shown direct red cards for a brawl among themselves. Changte punched Pakistani forward Hasan Basheer after a foul and Mohsin came running from behind to push Changte.
Just three minutes after the resumption, Ashik Kuruniyan darted down the left flank before cutting the ball back to onrushing Manvir Singh who placed the ball past Ijaz Yusuf Butt from handshaking distance (1-0).
The fate of the match was decided in the 69th minute with Manvir adding his second goal. It was a perfect build-up by substitute Laliuazuala Changte who drifted through the midfield, cut a diagonal pass to Vinit Rai who pushed the ball to Manvir who hit the far post net with diagonal drive (2-0).
Photo: UNB/Bayazid Akter
A demoralised Pakistan conceded the third in the 83rd minute when Ashik Kuruniyan used the free space in the right flank and cut a cross for substitute Sumeet Pasi, who headed home (3-0).
Pakistan’s consolation came in the 89th minute with Hassan Bashir slamming home with grounder after Indian defender Sharthak Golui’s headed clearance set him free (3-1).
Earlier, in a lively opening first quarter of the hour, Pakistan was the first to open the opponent defence. In the 7th minute Pakistani forward Hasan Basheer cut an angular grounder from the right edge of the box forcing Indian custodian Vishal Kaith to stretch to his limit to grip the ball.
India reacted quickly with two counterattacks with Manvir Singh diving forward to head low cross of Ashik Kuruniyan that went straight to Pakistani goalie Ijaz Yusuf Butt in the eighth minute and Vinit Rai saw his 25 yarder punched for a corner in the following minute.
India, however, were more enterprising in the second quarter of the hour pressing Pakistan back. Ijaz was in his brilliant best in the 24th minute to deny Manvir Singh who placed a cut back to the far post and two minutes later pulled out another acrobatic punch on a rasping drive of Ashik Kuruniyan that earned India the third corner.
Pakistan piling pressure upon their opponents sent a big chill in the 37th minute with forward Mehmood Khan unleashing a fierce right footer that was picked by Vishal Kaith with a quick reaction and Indian forward Farukh Haji Kasam Chowdhury’s volley was punched by Ijkaz Butt in the following minute.
India were fortunate in the first minute of the two minute added time when Hasan Basheer’s head on a cross of Saddam Hossain beat Vishal Kaith in the air but missed the side post.